Kasumi, the Game Queen
by David Knight
Summary: (Crossover with Yu-Gi-Oh) Kasumi Tendo has done what others have told her for a very long time, but one ancient mystical item is about to change her life forever. (Chapter 4 Added) A day at a festival turns out to be anything but simple.
1. The Birth of the Game Queen

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Ranma 1/2 and Yu-Gi-Oh belong to their respective companies. Also Jounouchi Katsuya is the original Japanese name for Joey Wheeler. Any comments or questions email me at davidknight30@hotmail.com_

**Kasumi, the Game Queen  
By: David Knight**

**Chapter 1: The Birth of the Game Queen**

It was another normal spring day in the Nerima district of Tokyo, Japan. The sun was bright, not a cloud in the sky, there was a cool breeze out to keep it from feeling too hot.

Ranma Saotome was now having another sparring session with his father Genma in the morning. 

As usual, Kasumi Tendo placed the latest load of laundry onto the clotheslines to dry, as she did every morning, and feeling a bit of regret. She took a look at the Saotome's sparing with each other. __I wonder why Mr. Saotome insists upon trying to hurt Ranma. It's not like he could hurt Ranma anymore. Ever since he developed that ki technique, he's at his best.__ Kasumi sighed to herself. __Amazing how being around it could affect me.__

She hadn't been exactly the same ever since she first felt Ranma use what he called the Moko Takabisha (Fierce Tiger Ball). He had been practicing it one night and had thought he had been alone that time but Kasumi had been doing some late night work around the house. She had been so quiet that he hadn't even noticed her. When Ranma used it, Kasumi could feel the confidence sweep through all of the area. 

And to someone who has had to suppress her own wants and desires, well it was a life preserver in an endless sea of disappointment and broken dreams.

As Kasumi turned back to watch the Saotomes, a small smile crept on her face as she saw Ranma kick Genma in the head, making him fall onto his back next to the pond. 

"Hmm. Aim must be getting off... I was so sure that would send you into the pond," Ranma commented to himself.

Genma got up from the ground in a huff. "Foolish boy!" he yelled. "You should never let your guard down! I guess I'll have to make your lesson extra harsh today."

Ranma got into a ready stance, prepared to take his father on again... that is until Happosai whizzed past all of them, with a sack filled with ladies' undergarments. "What a haul! What a haul!" the old pervert cried as he ran off.

And then as Kasumi knew, came the inevitable. 

"RANMA!!!" 

Ranma slowly turned around to see Akane charging out of the house with her mallet raised high.

__Oh man!__ Ranma cringed.

__Not again Akane..._ _Kasumi shook her head. __Why does she continue to do this to him?__

Akane swung her mallet back, ready to swing it like a baseball bat. "Pervert! I'll teach you a lesson for stealing my underwear!" she cried and it shortly followed after her the initial swing. Genma watched as Ranma avoided swing after swing. He smiled and started charging at Ranma as fast as his legs could carry him to Ranma. Akane hit Ranma with her mallet, but Genma kicked Ranma at the same time, altering Ranma's trajectory wildly.

"Huh?" was what was said by all present, as Ranma shot straight up into the air.

"Why me?" Ranma asked himself as he headed straight up into the air. "What did I do this time?" He asked himself again as he plummeted towards the earth. As Ranma closed in on the roof of the dojo, one thought dominated above all others. __This is gonna hurt...__

Kasumi cringed at the sight of Ranma crashing through the roof and a huge mushroom-cloud of dust forming from the new 'entry-way' that Ranma has created through his landing. "Oh my... I better make sure Ranma's alright." was all Kasumi said before deciding to walk back into the house. 

Genma and Akane looked back at one another, surprised by Kasumi's actions.

"What is she worried about? My boy is the strongest and will survive that easily!" Genma boasted.

"There's no way I'm going to marry that pervert!" Akane declared.

Genma blinked. "Uh, Akane? No one's mentioned anything about the marriage today."

* * *

Ranma cringed in pain as he lay on his back. His body ached and his head felt awfully warm. "Damn it. That was worse than usual," he grumbled.

"Are you okay Ranma?" 

Ranma looked up and saw Kasumi right there holding a first-aid kit. "Oh, hi Kasumi. Sorry about the mess."

"It's okay Ranma. It wasn't your fault. Here, let me check you." She said as he looked over Ranma over. 

"Don't worry about." Ranma shrugged. "I've taken worse hits from Ryoga than anything Akane's hit me with." After assuring Kasumi he was fine he looked around and saw what a mess he had made from falling into the attic. "Look, I better try cleaning this up."

"Oh no!" Kasumi started. "Don't worry Ranma, I'll take care of it." She told him. __Like I always do...__

"You sure?" Ranma asked Kasumi, a questioning look in his eyes.

"I will, don't worry. I suggest you try to get some rest right now Ranma." Ranma looked reluctant, until Kasumi smiled and said, "If you do as I ask, I promise to make you a special lunch." 

That got his attention. "Okay Kasumi. You take care then," Ranma said, before going back downstairs.

Kasumi sighed as she looked around. There was quite a mess in the attic made by Ranma's landing. __Just adds to the piles of the junk that we all keep piling up in this attic. And once I am done with the attic I have to get to fixing the holes in the wall, go get groceries, set the table, prepare dinner, clean the table... oh there is just so much work!__ She calmed herself down, feeling that there was no way to change her life. This was what she was meant to be. 

A virtual housewife. 

"Well, I better get started..." she sighed, as she was ready to begin her daily chores. However, just as she was about to start, a flash of gold caught her eye. She turned to her left and saw in one of the boxes in the corner, there were several odd-shaped pieces of gold-colored metal in it. 

"What's this?" Kasumi wondered as she took two pieces out and unconsciously moved them around with her hands, trying to put them together, trying various different positions. As she was working on the pieces, she began to feel a little strange, as if there was something alien behind her putting this together. Suddenly, she heard a clicking sound and the two pieces she had in her hands suddenly merged together to become one larger piece.

"Oh my... its some sort of puzzle," Kasumi realized. Not wanting to leave the job unfinished, she looked down at the remaining pieces of the puzzle. Slowly, she reached for another piece and started to try to connect it to the much larger piece that had been two pieces only a few moments ago. After a few attempts, she connected the smaller piece to the merged larger piece, making it now one large piece that had once been three. 

Slowly but surely, Kasumi began fitting the puzzle pieces together. She thought that it was strange that she was assembling something without knowing what the completed puzzle would look like. As she worked the puzzle, she felt different through out it, as if she could feel something helping her through this but she had no idea what it was. All that mattered to her now was completing the puzzle. The puzzle began taking shape and formed a small pyramid with a metal hoop at the bottom. Finally she reached for the final piece, which resembled a strange shaped single eye. She connected the final piece to the rest and finally the puzzle was completed. Suddenly without warning, the puzzle gave off a strange burst of light, which almost made Kasumi drop it in surprise. 

"Oh... my..." she said just staring at the puzzle. She didn't know why she felt this but she did feel that this puzzle was hers and that she shouldn't show it to anyone at all. Searching through the boxes in the attic, she tied a piece of leather through the loop and making it into a necklace now. She wore it for the moment under her shirt._ _I could imagine if Mr. Saotome saw it he would think it was gold and try to take it from me. I won't let anyone take this from me._ _

After taking care of the attic, which took a bit over an hour, she decided to go get the groceries done and go to the store.

Yes it seemed just like a very normal day in the life of Kasumi Tendo.

Except of course for the puzzle.

* * *

__Eggs, milk, cereal... Really hope I haven't forgotten anything.__ Jounouchi Katsuya shook his head. The young man ran his fingers through his short blonde hair. __Dad would know what to eat to begin with. I'm the one that has to get any food for us. I practically live on my own, thanks in parts to my parents separating over stupid reasons.__ he growled. __They didn't want to stay married. Fine I'm okay with that. But why the hell did they have keep Shizuka and me apart for over ten years! That's not fair at all!__

He kicked at a display stand and was fortunate it hadn't knocked over or he would have had to pay for that. Ever since Jounouchi's parents got divorced so many years ago, he hadn't gotten much word about his own sister, other than the fact that she was still alive. __Yeah fat lot of good that does me. They forget the most important problem of all. Do they think I'm stupid!__ he was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't see that had bumped into someone.

"Oh!"

"Eh?" Jounouchi turned around and saw the woman that he had ended up knocking down. __Great! Another thing I can blame on my parents.__ "I'm sorry. Here. Let me help up."

"Oh no its nothing." She said as she got up picking her things up. "I'm just fine. My fault really." She walked away.

__Her fault... but I was the one that wasn't watching where I was going... man...__ Jounouchi shook his head as he decided to go finish doing his shopping. With any luck he'd be done in ten minutes.

* * *

Meanwhile a few blocks down, there was a robbery in progress. A botched robbery actually. The thief (let's refer to him as Punk) was running away from the police and he didn't exactly have the best mental health. In fact he had already shot dead two cops at the very beginning and then had just continue shooting at any cop he saw.

Punk realized he wasn't getting anywhere fast. He needed to get out of the city but needed hostages to do it.

Once he saw the supermarket he knew he found the answer.

* * *

"That will be 4500 yen Kasumi." The cashier said.

Kasumi nodded as she went to pay the money for her groceries. Except for that accident with that young man everything was as it always had been with her.

Normal.

As she was on her way out though, a man grabbed her forcefully, holding her tight. The man pulled out his gun and shot a round in the air. Once the shot was heard people started to scream out. The man took in the screams as he put his gun to Kasumi's head and shouted out to everyone,  "This is a robbery folks as well as a hostage situation! Here's what I want! I want all of the money from the registers and I want some Vodka to drink. Now I know you called the cops already but that's fine since you are all going to help me leave the city because if you don't stay right where you are I'll blow this little girl's head off!"

No one was trying to take the man on as Kasumi could only think. __Oh my! I wish Ranma were here! He'd get rid of this man! Anyone we know could get rid of this man! Anyone but me!__ she thought as she was being dragged over by thug who was taking her over to the liquor stand.

"That's right no one try to play hero here." Punk smirked. Everything seemed to be going his way.

Seemed to be that was.

Jounouchi attacked Punk from behind and pulled away Punk's gun hand, allow Kasumi to be freed of Punk's grip. Jounouchi looked back at the scared Kasumi. "Go! Run!"

"Stupid kid!" Punk cried as he threw Jounouchi off of him and he ended up hitting Kasumi, who fell back against a register and slumped to the ground. 

"No!" Jounouchi cried wanting to go help her but Punk came from behind, grabbed him and put his gun to Jounouchi's head.

"I told you no heroics kid!" Punk shouted.

"Threatening girls like that! You're a real coward you know that!" Jounouchi shot. "I'd rather be your hostage than her!"

Punk smirked. "You just arranged that kid. For a couple of seconds now anyway... before I blow your head off!"

It was Punk's laughter that woke Kasumi back up and she saw with open eyes that Punk was about to kill Jounouchi. __Oh no! That boy tried to save me and now he'll die because of me! I can't let that happen! But I'm just a normal girl! I can't do anything...__ Little did she notice that her puzzle had come out from her shirt and was now in front of it.

Nor did she notice the strange glow that it was starting to give off.

__But... but I cannot stand for this! I won't! I will not let that boy die!!!__ Kasumi decided as the puzzle she wore shined for a moment and she stood up facing Punk.

"Huh? You're up already?" Punk blinked. He didn't even notice that Kasumi's hair was more unruly now and that there were faint silver stripes in front. The most un-Kasumi like feature on her face though was a smirk. 

"It's time to play a game." Kasumi replied in a voice that was not like her normal one. This voice had confidence and strength behind it as well as an edge.

"A game, huh? Not much interesting happening today. Well other than this hostage situation of mine." Punk remarked. 

"Oh but this isn't a normal game..." Kasumi spoke in a seductive tone, "It's a game for your life."

Punk drooled, already intrigued. "Sounds fun, what are the rules?" 

"There's only one rule. It's prohibited to use any finger other than the one you chose." 

"Say what?!" Jounouchi gasped in disbelief. __Just what is she trying to pull here!__

Kasumi explained, "Using only the finger you chose, you have to try to take the other's life. So, which finger do you chose?" 

"Ha! I pick my pointer finger!" Punk smirked. __This way I can just pull the trigger, shoot the girl, and I win! What fun!__

Kasumi shrugged. "As you wish. As for me... I'll use my thumb."

"Lady have you snapped?! Just what are you doing!" Jounouchi shouted. 

"Shut up!" Punk shouted as kept the gun at Jounouchi's head. Punk noticed he was near the liquor section, so grabbed a bottle after smashing Jounouchi in the back of the head with the butt of his gun, sending Jounouchi crumpling to the ground. "Ooops." Punk sneered as he put a cigarette in his mouth and was going to light it with the lighter in his left jacket pocket but when he searched there he didn't find it. __Oh well. Guess I'll just swipe a lighter from her... after I have a drink.__ he mused as he decided to keep the cigarette in his mouth as he started to pour his drink into a cup with his left hand, holding the gun in his right hand. 

"Game start." Kasumi replied.

"You mean game over." Punk laughed as he pointed his gun at Kasumi, intending to end the game by shooting her in the head, however he saw the smirk on her face still.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Kasumi asked.

"Huh?" Punk asked. "What am I forgetting?"

Kasumi chuckled lightly as she flicked open the missing lighter and lit it using her thumb, "Your lighter. You dropped it from when that young man hit you."

"That's right, I haven't lit my smoke yet." He smiled deciding to give the girl a few more seconds of life. "Want to light my cigarette?"

"Why not?" Kasumi replied as she walked over to Punk and lit his cigarette. However after lighting it, Kasumi dropped the lighter onto Punk's left hand, the hand that was still pouring his drink. 

Punk's eyes went wide at that, "Wha the... What the hell is this?!" he shouted at Kasumi, who kept that annoying smirk on her face. "What?! What's so funny?!"

"You do realize that is Russian Vodka you're pouring." Kasumi chuckled, "Its 90% alcohol. Very explosive if I recall my chemistry class correctly." 

Punk stared at her but his attention moved away from her as he felt left hand getting wet. He looked back and saw that the vodka was overflowing from his cup and onto his the table, his hand and now onto his pants.

"Now if you move your left hand, the lighter will fall into the drink. If that happens, there will be a fairly large explosion, which will naturally kill, and of course you'll lose the game, too. So as long as you follow the rules, you can't move." Kasumi bent down and picked up Jounouchi, draping his arm over her shoulder. 

Jounouchi started to wake up. "Lady... get away... he's..." he moaned.

"It's alright young man. He won't hurt us now." Kasumi assured him. "Now let's go."

__I am not going to lose to some little bitch!__ Punk decided as he let go of his gun from his right hand and used that hand to take the lighter off of his left hand.

Unfortunately for him, Kasumi heard the gun drop. Her face was that of disgust as she gave a death glare at him. "Some how I knew you wouldn't be able to play by the rules."

"I am going to send you straight to hell!" Punk screamed as he went for his gun.

"You want to see Hell?" Kasumi growled as her Millennium Puzzle glowed and suddenly a third eye appeared on her forehead. 

__What the...?__ Jounouchi blinked as he saw that. Apparently he was the only one that saw this because everyone else was still very much in shock/denial.

"Allow me to personally show you the way to the gates of darkness... MIND KILLER!" Kasumi cried as she flung her right hand forward and aimed at the man with the gun.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" he screamed as the magic of the Puzzle affected him. He fell to the ground screaming. "Ah! Ah get them off! Get them off of me! Ah! Stop it!"

Jounouchi could only stare at Punk and then looked at Kasumi. "What...What did you do to him?"

In a cold voice, Kasumi answered him. "Gave him what he truly deserved. I drove him insane."

"'Drove him insane'?" Jounouchi asked her. 

"He's killed people most likely... and he nearly killed us." Kasumi replied to Jounouchi. "I think this is just punishment for him."

"But do we do when the cops come?" Jounouchi asked.

His question would be soon answered by the arrival of the police, who found the raving Punk and then handcuffed him. "What's with this crazy ass murderer anyway? And who was the one that knocked him down?"

"That would be him officer." Kasumi said pointing to Jounouchi. At Jounouchi's stare, Kasumi said, "Well you did knock him down to save me from his gun. You're a real hero."

As she expected, that's what everyone in the store was telling the officers. It was simple in Nermia. Most people just took the quickest answer and rationalized it.

However since Jounouchi was NOT from Nermia, he did not let it drop. As the officers carted Punk away and told everyone they would need their statements some time this week Jounouchi needed to be taken to the precinct to give a statement.

"Please don't mention my name. Just say it was a girl you never saw before that he took hostage. If my father were to learn I was a hostage I don't think I'd ever hear the end of his crying. It could flood the house." Kasumi said as she picked up her things and was ready to walk out of the store.

"Hey wait a minute. I don't even know your name. I'm Katsuya Jounouchi!" Jounouchi called out the disappearing Kasumi.

"Tendo Kasumi." Was all Jounouchi heard before he lost sight of her.

__Tendo Kasumi... I'm not going to forget that name.__ Jounouchi mused. __She saved my life... however weird it was. Least I can do is get her dinner... DINNER!__ Jounouchi sweatdropped as he remembered his father. __Kuso... pop's is going to go nuts when hears about this!__

* * *

Dinner was a normal affair at the Tendo home that night. Kasumi cooked and cleaned after everyone and no one even said thank you that night. __After what I went through to make them dinner... and I didn't even get thanked tonight.__ she shook her head as she went to go finish what remained of her chores before going to sleep.

Except she found her sisters and Mr. Saotome had left a large amount of clothes to be cleaned.

It took Kasumi ten minutes to calm down in side her mind before she started work on their clothes so it would be ready for her to finish the cycle tomorrow. It was two at night before she finally made it to bed. 

Her thoughts realizing that she would have to go through the same cycle of work, something wasn't too particularly excited to do, all over again with nothing really interesting to do in her life.

__I almost died today and if it wasn't for that boy saving... wait a minute I remember that Jounouchi was being held hostage... and then I... I was the one that saved him... but then how was I able to do that!__ Kasumi wondered. __And I've been feeling more and more restless. As if the feelings that I had used to keep myself willing to help my family in anyway way are less strong. I want to do so many things... what's wrong with me?__

__The question could be stated as what is going right with you. __

Kasumi's eyes opened up and as she looked around she saw herself in a place devoid of any objects of furniture at all. She saw a dark and long corridor. She walked down that, trying to find out where she was. Finally, saw two doors one on either side of the corridor walls. One of the doors was open and it was to the lighter side. Her mouth opened up into a gasp as she saw her entire room inside this lighter side, however there were so many more things in this room. Many dolls, figures of angels, beautiful dresses and lovely painting hanged all over the walls of the room. 

"In case you are wondering what has just happened, let me explain. You are still sound asleep in your bed. Its just that the Millennium Puzzle has brought your consciousness here, into the Dreamscape of your mind so that you and I can have a little chat." A voice, Kasumi's own voice albeit a bit stronger spoke out.

"Who... who are you?" Kasumi asked as she whirled around looking for the voice that had spoken to her. "Where are you?"

Her question was answered when she heard a creaking sound, like that of a door opening. She saw it was coming from the second door and she looked at that door, she saw that there was the strange eye emblem that she had seen on the puzzle was also on the darkened door. As Kasumi waited there for the door to open completely, she felt a bit fearful but her fear became shock and disbelief as she saw who came out of the door.

It was Kasumi herself. The only difference was that this Kasumi looked exactly like the Kasumi that dealt with Punk earlier in the day. The Kasumi double smiled kindly to the original Kasumi, "I am you but to make things easier for both of us, you can call me Yami."

Kasumi blinked. "... you're me?"

Yami nodded, "If you want to be technical I am your other half. I am the part of yourself that you have kept locked away ever since your mother died. The part of you that is strong-willed, full of life, hope and dreams. I am the confidence that you have lost over time. The side of yourself that has the determination to over come anything."

"Really?" 

"Once long ago though I was living person but my soul has long since become part of the Millennium Puzzle in order to prevent the return of the Shadow Games."

"'Shadow Games'?" Kasumi asked.

"Long ago in ancient times, the Pharaohs of Egypt played an ancient game using very mystical and powerful magic. However, the magic was so strong that it threatened to destroy the world, mainly because these games drew upon the power and energies that came from a dimension known as the Shadow Realm. For that reason, these games were referred to as the Shadow Games." Yami explained to her, "But even in the Shadow Realm, the Shadow Games became a threat to the world and the creatures that lived there, for there were men and women of wicked and evil intent who wanted to use the power of the Shadow Games to take over or destroy the planet.  In order to protect the world and all beings who walk upon it, a brave Pharaoh sealed away the power of the Shadow Games in seven Millennium Items."

"Millennium Items?" Kasumi asked.

"Your Millennium Puzzle is one of them. All seven of the Millennium Items were safe guarded by servants of the Pharaoh and then hidden. But the Millennium Puzzle has mysterious powers; Powers different from that of the other Millennium Items, as since no two Millennium Items have the same power. Over the millenniums, someone shattered the Millennium Puzzle, forcing me into a coma of sorts, but the pieces of the puzzle can never be destroyed. Using what influence I could, I was able to have the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle appear in several places over time, when ever I had regained enough strength." Yami said, "However no one was able to solve the Puzzle and thus I remained as I had since the time the Puzzle had been shattered, weak and alone..." a small smile crossed Yami's face them, "Until now."

"Until you made it appear here in my attic, where I found it and put it together," Kasumi realized. "But what does that have do with you?"

"In order prevent the Shadow Games from ever being restored, a young man had his soul sealed away in the Millennium Puzzle and he became the watchman of the Shadow Realm." 

"Then that would mean..." Kasumi stared at Yami who replied, "Yes. I am that same man."

"Then why do you look like me instead of you?" 

Yami sighed when she heard the question. "I am now just a spirit, and I take the appearance of the one who has been chosen to use the Millennium Puzzle. And that person is you, Kasumi."

"But... I'm just..." Kasumi started but Yami hushed her.

"Kasumi. I have already seen your memories." She flinched and Yami sighed. "We are the same person Kasumi. It would make only sense that I able to see your memories. You feel that there is no escape out of your current life. But Kasumi, your father doesn't run your life. You are of legal age, you can leave this place and live for yourself."

"But my family..." Kasumi shook her head but Yami raised her hand up still to make her stop so that she could talk. "They have depended on you do to virtually every motherly task required. That is simply not right. You've done far more than your share of hard work Kasumi. You don't have to make any decisions now. After all what I speak of is very life changing but I ask you to let me help you in ways that I can so that you can see what it can be like. To live for yourself." 

Yami looked at Kasumi with a smile on her face and her right hand out, "What do you say Kasumi?"

Kasumi mused over Yami's own proposal. On one hand she had to cook, clean, shop and do many other chores for the people in her home. And now on the other was Yami who was asking Kasumi to let her see what it could be like living for her self and trying to help her.

What was the harm in just _seeing_?

"Alright." Kasumi said slowly, but she took Yami's outstretched hand, "I accept your offer Yami." 

**To Be Continued...**

_Author's Note: Well I hope this first chapter interests you all. Coming in Chapter 2, Yami begins helping Kasumi out in showing her other ways to live and Jounouchi comes back to Nermia and checks up a girl he knows while trying to find Kasumi to thank her. See you all later._


	2. Hello Cousin!

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Ranma 1/2 and Yu-Gi-Oh belong to their respective companies. I am doing this fanfic for my own pleasure and hope that you will enjoy it. Also Jounouchi Katsuya is the original name for Joey Wheeler from Yu-Gi-Oh. Any comments or questions please email them to me at davidknight30@hotmail.com_

**Kasumi the Game Queen  
By David Knight**

**Chapter 2: Hello Cousin!**

It was morning over the Tendo Dojo and everything was it had always been. Birds were chirping, Ranma and Genma were going at it in the morning, Akane trying to cook a meal once again and get Ranma to eat it.

There was one thing that was different though. Kasumi was now taking things a little easier than she had before. In fact she hadn't made much of a breakfast as she usually prepares in the morning. A splash from koi pond told Kasumi that either Ranma or Genma had just been cursed.

***Boy you will show me respect!*** Genma-Panda demanded.

__Show THAT thing respect? Why does Ranma even stay with that fat old man?__

Kasumi shook her head as heard Yami talking to her through their link. __Well Genma is Ranma's father and he has been there with him for most of his life.__

__Well wouldn't it occur to Ranma to just leave that fat sack of skin?__ Yami wondered. __From what I have seen of how that Panda-man treats Ranma, if this were my time the pharoh would have ordered Genma to be given the Set-Humdai.__

__Set-Humdai?__ Kasumi asked.

__In Egypt it was the second worst punishment that could be given to criminals. There is no way however that he would be given the true Humdai. The last thing the world would ever need would to have him as an invincible undead creature should anyone awaken him from eternal sleep.__ Yami replied.

Kasumi blinked. __And how is the Set-Humdai any different from the real Humdai?__

__They are basically the same except with the Set-Humdai we don't put man-eating scarabs into the damn one's sarcophagus after his eyes, ears, and tongue have been removed and he is mummified alive.__

__... ... ... ... ...__

__Kasumi are you there?_ _

__... Yami... never tell me about Egyptian burial punishments again...__ Kasumi replied to Yami quickly as she covered her mouth. __I think... I am going to be sick!_ _She headed for the bathroom before she vomited. Once there she slammed the door shut. However this didn't go unnoticed by Nabiki, who was coming down the stairs.

__What's up with her?_ _Nabiki wondered, __She looked as green as Akane's last cooking disaster.__

* * *

__I'm sorry Kasumi. I should have figured you wouldn't react well to someone like that.__ Yami apologized.

__I can really start to understand Ranma's condition better now more than ever. He has two different genders that he can end up in but still has the same mind. And right now I am a girl but I also have a spirit of a guy in my head except now he's a she and my other half.__ Kasumi returned as she cleaned herself and washed her mouth after vomiting.

__Don't think of me as a guy,__ Yami said. __ I am a spirit and in my case when I infused my essence with the Millennium Puzzle I lost all notions of gender and I would end up being a reflection and part of whomever was chosen to be its bearer. That is you.__

__... Kami-sama this can be so confusing.__ Kasumi shook her head. __So... What exactly do you have planned for me today as far as teaching me how I can find new avenues to my life?__

__Well for starters... get out of the house.__

__But I do that every day..._ _Kasumi started.

__To do grocery shopping or chores for others__ Yami finished, interrupting her. __For now I want you to go and do something that does NOT involve your family. Go do something for yourself.__

__For myself?__ Kasumi questioned. She thought back to herself and wondered what had she done for herself recently that involved just her own self.

The answer was nothing.

__For starters, I think a new wardrobe might be nice,__ Yami suggested. __You do need to get yourself some new clothes. Try something newer for yourself.__

Kasumi thought about what she would for dinner, but Yami picked up on that. __The purpose of this is to try not to think about your usual routine. Now I want you to just go out and get some new clothes.__

Kasumi nodded. __Alright. Besides I still have that special dinner that I have been preparing for a while now. I'll just use that. I'm sure they will like it.__

* * *

In her place within the Millenium Puzzle, Yami just had a big sweat drop behind her head. To herself and only herself she sighed, "This isn't going to be easy. Trying to get her to think outside her 'scheduled' life and try things for herself is going to be hard as hell. But then again I can't blame her for how she is. Her mother dying was tough on her," she waved her hand and an image of Genma appeared. "However this fat oaf makes things even worse for her. His son I can live with since he goes through a hell to rival or eclipse Kasumi's..." 

Yami growled as her thoughts came back to Genma. The more she looked at his image, the more anger and disgust she felt toward the elder Saotome. "But this idiot does nothing at all around the house. He just sits on his fat ass for most of the day whether he's human or a panda." she shook her head wishing that Genma could have been cursed as a desert monkey. It would have suited his true self more. "None of my Shadow Powers would even work to improve him and the only one that could in fact get rid of him for all eternity is one that I won't use unless he crosses the line with Kasumi." 

It was doubtful to her, but she prayed to Osiris that Genma wouldn't make her have to use the ultimate and most powerful Shadow Game Punishment on him.

She didn't think Kasumi would like it very much if she ended up having to kill Genma.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another section of Nermia, at the Ucchan, a certain okonomiyaki chef was hard at work preparing her customer's orders. 

__Hmm... I wonder how Ranchan's doing this afternoon. Maybe he'd like some good cooking for dinner rather than being forced to eat Akane's killer cuisine.__ Ukyo Kunoji mused. However, any more thoughts about Ranma were about to be put on hold for the moment as she heard another costumer come in. She turned around and greeted the costumer, not really looking at him or her directly, "Welcome the Ucchan. How can I help you?"

"That anyway to greet family cousin?"

"What..." Ukyo looked harder at the figure that had just walked in and her eyes went wide as saucers.

"Yo! What's up Ukyo?" Jounouchi Kastuya smiled.

"JOUNOUCHI!" Ukyo leaped up and bear hugged her favorite cousin.

"It... it's good to see you Ukyo..." Jounouchi gasped. "... please... loosen arms... can't... breath..."

Ukyo sweatdropped. "Oops..." she let go of her cousin who fell on his rear as she scratched her head. "Hehheh. Sorry Jounouchi... Oh! That's right I almost forgot!"

"Huh? Forgot what?" Jounouchi asked.

_SLAM!!!_

Jounouchi found himself on the receiving end of Ukyo's battle spatula and fell the ground hard.

"That!" Ukyo shouted.

"Hey! That hurt Ukyo!" Jounouchi growled as his head while he got to his feet. He looked Ukyo in the eyes as he demanded, "Now what did you do that for!"

His answer was Ukyo thrusting the morning paper in his face. The front page head line was 'Teen Hero Defeats Cop Killer' with pictures of Punk and Jounouchi below it.

"You nearly get killed yesterday because you try to act like a hero and I have to find this out from a newspaper instead of you Jounouchi!" Ukyo exclaimed. "Jounouchi you and Shizuka are the only real family I have left, since my father passed away nine years ago! I don't want to lose either of you!"

Jounouchi looked down at the floor not making eye contact with her. "... well you got me beat there. _You_ are the only real family I see anymore."

Upon hearing those words, Ukyo dropped her spatula and her face was etched in shame. "... Oh Jounouchi..." she looked over at Kontasu. "Kontasu. Take over for a while. I have a sort of family emergency that I need to take care of now." Kontasu nodded as Ukyo and Jounouchi went into the back and sat down. "Jounouchi..."

"No," Jounouchi replied, "It's alright. I guess I should have called... I mean we are family... have you seen her lately?"

Ukyo shook her head sadly, "Last time was before they moved to Kyoto last year. She was well."

Jounouchi nodded, "Thanks. Anyway that paper does have something to do with why I am here."

"Oh?"

"You see I'm no hero," Jounouchi admitted, "I tried to be but that guy grabbed me after I helped free his hostage. He was about to blow my brains out... but then that same girl who I thought was knocked out came up and challenged the guy to a game."

"A game?" Ukyo asked.

"It was weird. It was a game in which you had to use only one finger to take the other's life." Seeing Ukyo's shocked expression, Jounouchi continued, "I tried to tell her to forget about but she didn't listen. The guy knocked me out after choosing his pointer finger while she used just a thumb. I don't know much after that since I was kind of hazy, but somehow she outsmarted him and ended placing a lighter, which she lit using her thumb, on his left hand which pouring vodka."

"And if he moved his hand then the lighter would ignite the alcohol." Ukyo reasoned.

"Yeah. She picked me up and started to drag me out of the area but that guy dropped his gun to get rid of the lighter. She turned around and suddenly on her forehead there was this third eye that appeared and she raised her hand out, aiming at the guy. He stopped running, froze for a few seconds until he just collapsed the ground screaming and clawing at things that weren't there. She said to me she drove him insane." Jounouchi continued, "Once the cops came she said I was the one that took care of the guy and left after making me promise not tell the police about the truth. Everyone there accepted that I was the one that saved the day. And well, that's it." After finishing his explanation, he looked at Ukyo who was kind of indifferent as she poured a drink for both of them. "You don't seem so shocked. Why?"

"Well around here weird is the norm." Ukyo shrugged, "Do you know who she is?"

"Yeah and that's why I came here to see if you knew her. I figure she lives in Nermia." Jounouchi replied. "I know her name."

"What is it?" Ukyo asked as she started to drink her juice.

"Tendo. Kasumi Tendo."

That caused Ukyo to do a spit take and spray her drink all over Jounouchi. 

"Hey!" Jounouchi cried. "What's the big idea Ukyo?" He then stared at her as he now saw that she was just wide eyed.

"Kasumi?! Kasumi saved you!" Ukyo exclaimed, "Jounouchi tell me what this girl's name is really?"

Jounouchi blinked. "Ukyo I told you it was this girl named Kasumi Tendo."

Ukyo just stared at Jounouchi for a while before speaking, "That's impossible. Kasumi's a perfect angel. Violence isn't a part of her. She doesn't even curse. She doesn't even say a single negative thing to anyone. There is no way she could have been the one to save you."

Hearing her say that made Jounouchi smile, "Okay then cousin. How about I invite her over her for dinner and then you can ask her yourself. If I am right then I get free okonominyaki for a week."

"And if you aren't then you got work here for free for a week cleaning the kitchen." Ukyo returned his grin.

"Deal!" __Sucker!_ _was what both of them said and thought at the same time as they shook each others hands.

* * *

The person in question now was looking over a rack of clothes in the Nermia Shopping Center.

__Dresses, dresses and more dresses that reflect everything you have in your closet that is provided by your father.__ Yami shook her head.

__Well I haven't worn anything other than just a dress or a skirt in a long time.__ Kasumi sent.

__Correction. You made yourself wear only that._ _

__What do you mean?__

__Okay... I don't mean to sound sharp or callous... but Kasumi you need to stop acting like a mother!__

A long pause.

__... ... ...__

__I am sorry if that upsets you but from what I think of things ever since your mother died you have forced upon yourself the role of wife, mother, and keeper of the house.__ Yami explained. __You forced a role that was neither the time nor the place for you to have. You were too young to be made to do those roles and now here you are trapped in the unable to see past them. Does this make any sense to you?__

__... yes it does.__ Kasumi sighed as she thought things through. She had taken up those roles because she felt someone had to She also thought that her family would help her as they had helped out her mother.

They never did.

__The first step is to try something that isn't of the image of the past. Rather try something newer. Take it one step at a time. Don't try to do everything at once. This is a gradual process. If you try to free yourself all at once, which I think you have been trying, you already have the result.__ Yami explained comfortingly to Kasumi.

__I'd just go back to what I am comfortable in.__ Kasumi shook her head. Suddenly, she looked to her left and saw a white dress shirt with pinkish-red pants. She didn't know why but it just seemed like something she wanted.

__And that is step one.__ Kasumi could feel Yami smiling in the back of her mind when she said that. 

Taking the shirt and pants off of the rack she paid for them and prepared to return home and (to Yami's regret) she thought of getting ready to prepare dinner.

* * *

However once they were home, Yami was smiling. __Do you think I could have some fun with the panda man?__ she asked a little gleefully.

__... must... resist... urge... to... hurt...__ Kasumi thought. __... I worked... so hard and... so long... on that food.__

When she had gotten home she had found that Genma-Panda had gone through and eaten what she food she marked as 'Do not touch' because she had spent a lot of time preparing it for the final touches which she planned to do tonight. 

__... there. I'm fine. I'll just think of something else to prepare.__ Kasumi thought.

***BURP!*** Genma-Panda wrote. ***That was a great appetizer! Oh hi Kasumi. Want any ramen from the takeout we ordered from the Nekohatten? It should be arriving soon.***

__Still want to let him off the hook?__ Yami asked Kasumi.

__You were seem to be a very wise and just spirit... I trust what ever judgment you pass on so long as you don't seriously hurt him.__ Kasumi responded to Yami.

__Your wish is granted.__ Yami smiled. Under Kasumi's shirt, her Millennium Puzzle glowed slightly and Yami Kasumi had now taken over, not that Genma-Panda could tell the difference. Looking around Yami Kasumi wondered what to do to Genma-Panda.

__Rolling pin, knives, spoons, mallets...__ she paused when she caught something so ugly looking it could only be the perfect tool of revenge. __Ahha!_ _Yami Kasumi grinned as she picked up the object next to the flowers. "Oh what's this? It smells so good. I think I might eat it."

His stomach thinking first always, Genma-Panda took it and stuffed the contents down his throat.

"HEY! That's my dinner for Ranma that you ate!" Akane called poking her head out.

***WHAT?! BUT KASUMI SAID IT SMELT GOOD!*** Genma-Panda wrote on a board, utter shock etched all over his face.

Yami Kasumi smelled again, but this time over the flowers, "Oh dear. It looks like the fragrance of these flowers mixed in with Akane's food."

***GWAH!!!*** Genma-Panda signed before turning green and falling to the ground. 

"Oh my, it looks like Mr. Saotome will need to be carted over to Dr. Tofu's." Yami Kasumi said sweetly. A few seconds later, Nabiki came down from upstairs and was soon extorting large amounts of yen from the Panda man for her services to get him to Dr. Tofu, just like Yami Kasumi knew she would. Nabiki's ear was almost everywhere and ready to make a quick yen. 

Nabiki's face had a smile as she got her money but Yami Kasumi was also smiling. __Why bother giving him a Shadow Game punishment when all I need to do is just feed him Akane's nuclear waste?__ She mused as she walked up stairs. Once in her room, she took off her current clothes and put on the clothes Kasumi bought. She looked at herself in the mirror. "Now this is a good look for us." The Millennium Puzzle glowed and Kasumi was back to normal with a smile on her face. It was clear that Kasumi liked this look on her as well.

* * *

Jounouchi was really starting to believe Ukyo was right about Nermia being a place where the weird is normal. Where else would he see a panda whose face was green as a frog's being taken away to a doctor's office instead of a vet or even to a zoo.

"... This is too weird," Jounouchi shook his head as he looked at the address Ukyo gave him. "Well this is the right address." He walked up to the door and knocked on it.

The person who answered was Akane. "Can I help you?"

"Um... this is the Tendo Dojo right?" Jounouchi asked.

Akane looked at him. "Don't take this the wrong way but you wouldn't happen to be a guy that wants to fight the jerk I am being forced to marry?"

"Huh?" Jounouchi blinked. __Where the heck did that come from?__ "Um look, I'm trying to find Kasumi Tendo. Is she here?"

Akane eyed him even more when she heard that this stranger was looking for her older sister, "And how do you know my sister?"

Before Jounouchi could say anything else Akane, the sister in question placed her hand on Akane's shoulder, "This young man happened to saved my life yesterday Akane."

"Huh?" Akane blinked in surprise, "He did?"

__'Saved her life?' More like she saved me. Why does she want to keep it like that?_ _Jounouchi asked himself.

Kasumi handed to Akane a newspaper, just like the one Ukyo had shown to Jounouchi, "I mean this young man risked his life to save mine from a horrible criminal and no I didn't tell anyone about this because... well you know what father would do."

Akane shivered at that thought. __The last thing we need is for our home to be flooded.__

"I'll be alright. Why don't you go a head and break bricks for a bit." Kasumi suggested to her.

"Yeah! That will definitely get my mind of all of the hentai." Akane smiled as she left the two of them alone. 

"This town really is weird..." Jounouchi shook his head and sighed before looking at Kasumi and seeing her current attire. "Nice outfit. It kind of suits you better than that dress I saw you in yesterday."

"Well thank you," Kasumi smiled. 

"I guess you are wondering why I am here... well I don't feel right at the moment. Seeing as you saved my life and all... least I can do is get you a dinner."

Kasumi shook her head. "That's very kind but I don't want to make you spend any of your money on me."

Jounouchi sweatdropped, "Um... actually I wouldn't. See I have a cousin who owns a restaurant here. I figure I can get you a meal for free."

Kasumi shook her head again. "Really I must..."

"Niaho Arien!"

"RANMA NO BAKA!"

Jounouchi and Kasumi looked up to see Ranma get punted out of the house by Akane for the umpteenth time. Jounouchi just stared in shock while Kasumi sweatdropped. 

"On second thought... I accept." Kasumi sighed but blinked when she saw Jounouchi's shocked expression. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"How... How... How can you be so calm!!!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "I mean a guy just sent right through your roof..." he looked up again and saw Ranma was still flying. "...and he's still sailing away."

Kasumi sighed. "This happens every day to Ranma. I just wish Akane would stop over reacting."

If Jounouchi didn't think he jaw could drop any further he was wrong, "Everyday?! Why? What could this Ranma have done to tick your sister off?"

"Very Violent Girl had no right!"

"I had every right you overblown bimbo! You're nothing but trouble!" 

Jounouchi poked his head in and saw Akane yelling with a purple haired girl in a short Chinese dress. "She punted him because of the delivery girl? What is she? The guy's girlfriend?"

"One of several fiancées that Ranma has and none are by Ranma's choice." Kasumi sighed.

"Fiancées?" Jounouchi gasped, "As in more than one?! How is that even possible! Who the hell would be stupid enough to invite such disaster?"

* * *

At Dr. Tofu's office, a certain incapacitated Panda sneezed.

* * *

Kasumi shook her head. "It's a long story. Now can we go to your cousin's."

Jounouchi nodded eagerly. "Yeah. I don't want to end up being the next victim of your sister's temper tantrums."

* * *

A short while later they had arrived at the Ucchan, which surprised Kasumi but she was even more surprised to learn that Ukyo was the cousin that Jounouchi mentioned.

"You never mentioned having other relatives Ukyo." Kasumi said as Ukyo put their food down.

"Well it just didn't come up Sugar." Ukyo shrugged. "Sides all I wanted when first came her was to make Ranchan pay for abandoning me before finding out the truth."

"Ranchan... you mean that guy with the fat father that took your yattai when you were six who was..." Jounouchi blinked as realization hit him. "Whoa! Ranchan is this Ranma I am hearing about! The guy with the multiple fiancées all not by his own choosing and one of them punts him out of his house every day! That's your Ranchan?!"

Ukyo blinked for a moment before growling. "Akane hurt my Ranchan again?! Oh she doesn't deserve him! I'm much better suited to be his wife."

"'Wife'...Ukyo! You're one of those fiancées?!" Jounouchi said in disbelief.

"I should be his only fiancée since my yattai was already used up." Ukyo replied.

"What is this place?!" Jounouchi pulled at his hair. "Seriously! This is not a place where any sane person would live! What's next?!"

"AHHHHH!!!"

To answer Jounouchi's question, Tsubasa Kurenai (disguised as a table at present) was now trying glomp and possibly grope Ukyo.

"Oh Ukyo you know you are my one and only!" Tsubasa beamed at her.

"That's it!" Jounouchi exclaimed as he took a tray and whacked it over Tsubasa head. The sudden action stunned Tsubasa, allowing Ukyo to get out of his glomp. Jounouchi glared daggers at the boy. "I've seen a lot of weird things in this crazy town today but buddy you aren't just weird... you are a goddamn perverted asshole who's trying to molest my cousin!"

Silence was all there was for a moment before Tsubasa threw his disguise off and it hit Jounouchi and Kasumi. "Ukyo is mine and mine alone!"

"Jounouchi! Kasumi!" Ukyo shouted as she got her battle spatula out. Her anger and disgust toward Tsubasa reaching heights she never thought possible. "That's it! You've gone too far this time Tsubasa!"

"Oh but it is all for love my sweet Ukyo!" Tsubasa said with little hearts in his eyes.

"Don't you mean lust boy?" a strong feminine voice spoke out.

"Huh?" Ukyo turned around as she felt someone's hand on her shoulder.

It was Kasumi's. Or rather Yami Kasumi's.

"Put the spatula away Ukyo. Fighting with Tsubasa has never gotten him to go away in the past." Yami Kasumi smirked. "But don't worry. He won't bother you again. I promise." She walked over to Tsubasa, a confident grin on her face.

"Kasumi what are you..." Ukyo started but Jounouchi held her back.

"Just watch and learn cousin. That pervert's going to get a lesson in punishment." Jounouchi smirked.

Tsubasa was unimpressed. "I know you Kasumi. You're just so soft that you let people do what they want and you step aside. So please step aside so I can go to Ukyo." He said with a smile on his face.

Yami Kasumi chuckled, causing Tsubasa to lose his smile and blink at her. Her smirk on her face she spoke looking directly at Tsubasa, "Here's my reply... you can go to hell you pervert if you think I'll let that happen."

"What the?!" were the words that came out of both Ukyo and Tsubasa at the same time.

__What in the world is this? Kasumi **never** curses! She has never even said no to anyone for as long as I have known her!__ Ukyo blinked.

"However there is a way in which only one of us will get what we want." Yami Kasumi smirked. "And that is to play a game."

"What kind of a game?" Tsubasa asked.

"It's a very simple game that I think even you can understand." Yami Kasumi smiled as she pulled out a deck of standard playing cards. "We draw one card from the deck and the one with the lower card losses." She narrowed her eyes as she focused on Tsubasa. "If you win I'll help you obtain Ukyo as your slave for the rest of your life but if I win I will decide your fate."

_"Say what?!"_ Ukyo shouted as Jounouchi had to restrain her. "Let me go! She is out of her mind!"

"That's what I thought before Ukyo! Just trust her!" Jounouchi said.

"I have to agree with Ukyo... you must be mad if you have come to this idea." Tsubasa chuckled.

"What's wrong? Afraid you might lose? Do you not have the courage to go for what you believe to be yours?" Yami Kasumi asked.

"Ha! I am not afraid of anything! Shuffle that deck first!" Tsubasa shot as Yami Kasumi did just that. Tsubasa drew his card and laughed as he showed it to Ukyo. "Say hello to being mine forever! I have the King of Clubs!"

"A fitting card for a man like you... however it is my turn..." Yami Kasumi smirked as she drew her card and revealed it to all. "... and I drew the Ace of Hearts. So you lose Tsubasa."

"... hahaha! What kind of a trick is that! Now move out of my way! Ukyo is mine!" he started to run toward Yami Kasumi who was blocking his way.

"I don't think so Tsubasa Kurenai." Yami Kasumi smirked as her Millennium Puzzle glowed and suddenly something started to glow on her forehead. It was an eye, an eye just like the one on her Millennium Puzzle.

"What the..." Ukyo blinked.

"It's just like the last time..." Jounouchi muttered.

"It is time for your punishment and I choose... NIGHTMARE ILLUSION!" Yami Kasumi flung her hand out aimed at Tsubasa who suddenly stopped running.

"Hey... he's stopped..." Ukyo mused.

However, it wasn't for long as Tsubasa clutched his head with both hands, his face twisted with some sort of mental anguish. "No... No please stop! I am a good boy! I am not a girl! Please! I'll do anything for you! Please don't make me do this! No! NOOOOO!!!" He then stared up at Ukyo and screamed his head off. "AHHHH! KEEP AWAY FROM ME!!!" he ran out of the Ucchan like a bat out of hell, leaving Ukyo totally confused.

"What the hell just happened to him?" Ukyo finally asked.

"The Nightmare Illusion punishment will allow me to get into his head for just a moment to affect the nightmare that he will see for a very long time. Whenever he thinks about any nasty, lecherous or perverted thoughts toward you or anyone woman, he will instantly regress back to his worst time in life and then will see everyone as his worst fear." Yami Kasumi replied.

"What's that?" Jounouchi asked.

"His cross-dressing mother." Yami Kasumi shivered. "Thank god I only was in there for second. That's the last time I use that punishment when dealing with a crossdresser." She looked at Ukyo with a kind smile on her face. "As I said Ukyo you don't have to worry about Tsubasa ever again."

Jounouchi also smiled but for a different reason. "Guess this means I was telling the truth. So when can I claim my week of free grub?"

It was at that time Ukyo's brain shut down and she fainted unable to handle all of the surprises.

"I think she took that rather well." Yami Kasumi said.

"Ya think?" Jounouchi replied.

* * *

After a while Ukyo did wake up and she was looking at Kasumi and Jounouchi.

"Woah. What a strange dream. I thought that Tsubasa came and hurt you two and then you Kasumi played a game with him and..." Ukyo rambled but Jounouchi put his hand on her shoulder.

"Wasn't a dream Ukyo. It was real. All of it." Jounouchi said.

After hearing that, Ukyo fixed her gaze on Kasumi. "Ukyo if I could just have a moment..." she started but wasn't prepared for Ukyo embracing her.

"OH THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" Ukyo squealed as she hugged Kasumi even tighter, cutting off Kasumi's air supply making her face start to become a shade of blue. "THANK YOU KASUMI FOR GETTING RID OF HIM! YOU CAN EAT HERE FREE FOR LIFE!" She let go of Kasumi and started dancing all around. "HE'S GONE! HE'S GONE! TSUBASA IS GONE FOREVER! KONTASU! SEND OUT FLYERS! I AM GOING TO CELEBRATE THIS DAY WITH A BANG!"

Jounouchi and Kasumi just looked at the departing Ukyo. It wasn't long until they heard a rumbling sound. "What is that?" Jounouchi asked. "It sounds like a stampede."

"That's because it is." Kasumi replied.

"Nani?" Jounouchi blinked.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Huh?" Jounouchi muttered and he looked outside and saw the stampede that Kasumi must have been talking about. A stampede that composed of Ranma-chan, who was being chased by Ryoga, Kuno, Akane, Shampoo, Kodachi, and Mousse.

"MY LIFE SUCKS!" Ranma-chan screamed as she passed by the Ucchan as did everyone else who also let out his or her own screams.

"RANMA PREPARE TO DIE!"

"SAOTOME YOU WILL PAY!"

"PIGTAIL GIRL I LOVE YOU!"

"DIE HARRIDAN!"

"ARIEN COME BACK!"

"RANMA NO BAKA!"

After the dust had settled, Jounouchi and Kasumi just blinked awhile. Kasumi looked at Jounouchi, who was still staring but was in less shock now. "This is the center of all weirdness on the planet..." he muttered before turning to face her, "Isn't it?"

"I prefer to think of it as the Sea of Chaos." Kasumi replied.

"Happens every day?"

"Yes."

"Never changes?"

"No."

The sound of silence can be heard for about five seconds.

"Want to be friends?" Jounouchi asked.

A smile formed on Kasumi's lips, "Definitely."

**To Be Continued...**

_Author's Notes: Well what did you think of this chapter? Personally I have nothing against Tsubasa but he's just a character I see no place for in my story and how he's always trying to go around Ukyo can be considered stalking. So I thought I would take him out of the equation permanently. The punishment Nightmare Illusion is one of my own creation, but I will have few Shadow Game Punishments that I make up on my own. It's just that I don't intend to use the same punishment two chapters  in a row. The punishments will be used to fit the person it's being used on. The next chapter will get into focusing on events in the Tendo Dojo. As Yami helps Kasumi more in breaking out of her shell, someone will notice the subtle changes in Kasumi's behavior. Oh and certain Lost Boy will come a calling for Nermia's most unluckiest martial artist, except this time will not be like the others. Not with Yami being around as another Shadow Game will be played. What type of Shadow Game is it? You'll have to read to find out. Until next time._


	3. Pchan Finally Gets What He Deserves

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Ranma 1/2 and Yu-Gi-Oh belong to their respective companies. I am doing this fanfic for my own pleasure and hope that you will enjoy it. Jounouchi Katsuya is the original name for Joey Wheeler from Yu-Gi-Oh. I would like to thank at this time Shaun Garin, who is becoming a large source of support and help in the continuation of this story. For those of you have been clamoring for more chapters, you'll have to thank him because now I feel like the wait between a new chapter getting posted will be less than usual from now on. Anyway I present to you without further ado..._

**Kasumi the Game Queen   
By David Knight**

**Chapter 3: P-chan Finally Gets What He Deserves**

Tibet. Normally a place where people seldom traverse, especially in the mountains near an isolated monastery. The monks of the area tend to stay isolated, save for short sojourns into the town at the base of the mountain.

A young monk stood at the entrance, sweeping away the snow that covered the cobblestones when a voice cried out, "Where on earth am I now?!"

Biting back a sigh of disbelief, the young monk looked up and wearily said, "You again?"

Ryoga, eternally lost boy stood before him, looking very lost indeed. "Oh," Ryoga said. "I'm here again?"

"This is your tenth visit to the monastery," the young monk replied. "Has our lessons taught you nothing at all?"

Ryoga clenched his fist. "I will have my revenge against Ranma Saotome. Mark my words!"

The young monk sighed. Violence wasn't part of his everyday life like it was of this young man who couldn't find his way out of a paper bag. "Come inside before you freeze then. I'll get you some food and then set you on the way." The young monk reflected that it was a strange relationship between them, as Hibiki chuckled embarrassedly, and followed him inside.

After a short meal, Ryoga set on his way. Through somewhere in Ontario, Canada after crossing over from India, Ryoga sent his challenge letter, post marked with very many stamps. "Soon," Ryoga swore, "I will return, and break you Ranma!"

Steve Irwin was then treated to the sight of an insanely cackling lost boy. The Crocodile Hunter just sighed and returned to wrestling his 100th gator.

* * *

Normal in Nerima is an ideal that has a stranger variation in fact. For example, in most of Tokyo, and most of the world, anything that was part of someone's daily life was normal. Such as getting up and going to work or school. For residents of Nerima, it was more of the Super Powered Martial Artists causing Mass Property Damage.

Malletings, were no exception.

The morning had started as usual, Ranma and Genma fighting over the koi pond, Soun brushing his teeth while reading the newspaper, Nabiki preparing for school and mentally tallying the amount of money she needed for that week, and such.

But today, was an abbreviation in the norm, as Akane, commonly labeled by one Chinese Amazon as Kitchen Destroyer, a rightfully earned nickname, had cooked breakfast.

Ranma, being that he spoke most of the time with his foot inserted deep within his throat, had spoken his mind, and thus, resulted in said pigtailed boy being launched as a LEOMA, or Low Earth Orbit Martial Artist.

It was to this, that Katsuya Jounouchi was greeted to, as he stepped into the Tendo Compound, wide eyed at the sheer strength that someone would need to launch a human body that far into the atmosphere.

"Kami-Sama almighty..." Jounouchi muttered.

"And don't you forget this lesson you pervert!"

Jounouchi cringed as he heard Akane right behind him. Putting a smile on so that he wouldn't upset the irritated 'martial artist', he spoke carefully, "Er, hi Akane. How are you today?"

Akane blinked when she heard Jounouchi speak and she quickly put her mallet away, "Oh hi Jonouchi. Are you looking for Kasumi?"

__Nani?!__ Jounouchi stared wide-eyed at Akane, __Just two days ago she looked she was ready to mallet ME! And now she sounds nice to me? I don't get that?__

"She's out in back working on the laundry. You should go see her." Akane said with a smile, "You really made her smile two days ago... don't know why but if you being around Kasumi makes her happy, who am I to make a fuss."

"Okay. Thanks." Jounouchi said as he walked past Akane who decided to speak up.

"Of course if I find out you are a hentai, not even Kami-sama will be able to protect you." she said almost too sweetly.

Jono sweatdropped as he scratched the back of his head, "Hehheh, trust me. I have no intentions of being a pervert."

"Good," Akane smirked, "First right once you walk in." 

"Gotcha," Jounouchi said as he walked into the dojo.

Nabiki noticed the handsome blonde walk past her and into the dojo. Turning to her younger sister, she asked, "So who was that?"

"That? Oh that's just Jounouchi. He's a friend of Kasumi's."

Nabiki blinked at that. Kasumi having a friend outside of the house? That was a new one. Usually, the only people she associated with was the vendors at the local market and grocery store. "So how long has he been Kasumi's friend?" 

"I don't know. A few days probably." Akane shrugged. "Don't tell father this, but according to Kasumi, she says he saved her life from this deranged criminal that held up the grocery story three days ago."

Nabiki did a double take. Her own sister's life being threatened? While the guy was cute with the messy blonde hair and the lean build, she had never expected that someone like him would protect Kasumi. This bore investigating into.

"Oh no!" Akane gasped. "Now I'm going to be so late for class!" She grabbed her bag and rushed out the door. A moment later, Nabiki rushed out after Akane. But she gave a momentary look towards the dojo where Kasumi and Jounouchi were.

* * *

Kasumi ran the rag across the windowsill, scowling at the dust that had accumulated on the polished wood. Normally, the whole dojo and even the entire house would be spotless, except for the attic where she had found the Millennium Puzzle. Dipping her rag into the water bucket, Kasumi continued wiping down the sills of the room.

__I do not see why you continue to do this, Kasumi__ Yami said, breaking into her thoughts. __I thought we agreed that you would do something besides cleaning all the time. Surely a little dust will not harm the furniture.__

__It's not that,__ Kasumi replied mentally. __Old habits are hard to break, Yami. Every day I did the same thing, keeping the whole home clean, cooking dinner. Trying to do something other than that is hard for me to change.__

Yami let out a mental sigh. __It is your decision, Aibou. But I have to admit, I would much rather prefer you spending your time enjoying yourself.__

Kasumi was about to reply when the door slid open and a voice called out, "Oi! Kasumi!"

"Jounouchi?" Kasumi blinked as she saw the young man come in.

"Heya. What's up?" Jounouchi asked but stared as he saw all of her cleaning equipment.

"Oh just doing my chores.... hmm?" Kasumi blinked when she saw the look on Jounouchi's face. "Is there something on my face?"

"What do you think you are trying to? Clean your entire house?" Jounouchi asked.

"Well actually yes. Just like I have done every day ever since my mother, kami-sama rest her soul, died so many years ago." Kasumi breathed.

"How many years?" Jounouchi asked.

"Over ten." Kasumi answered.

"OVER TEN?!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "But... but that would mean you were a kid when you first started!"

"Yes. And after this is done I'm going to need to do laundry, the washing and folding..." Kasumi started to say but Jounouchi cut her off, "Hold it! HOLD EVERYTHING!!!" he told her. "Are you telling me you have been acting like a slave for your own family for over ten years?! You have to be kidding me!"

Kasumi actually frowned at that, folding her arms. "I'm not a slave! It's just that no one is willing to do these things! Nabiki has never picked up a washcloth in her life, whenever Akane tries to help I wind up Sandblasting the kitchen to clean it, daddy is a wreck, Mr. Saotome is a bottomless pit of a panda with no income and Ranma..." Kasumi stumbled short. "I have been a slave, haven't I?"

Jounouchi smiled sympathetically as he slung an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, relax. Listen, I'll help you dust here, just a quick one and we'll head out for the day. Just the two of us."

"But isn't today a school day?" Kasumi asked.

Jounouchi chuckled. "The only one who'd miss me is the class rep and Mazaki. So don't worry about it."

Kasumi merely sighed but handed Jounouchi a damp rag. Together, the pair quickly dusted the shelves and windowsills.

After a little while, Jounouchi and Kasumi headed out together. Kasumi had changed into her outfit from the day before. After leaving a note in the kitchen to let her father or in any one else in the house to know she would be out of house for a while, they went to catch a bus from the Nerima terminal and they headed into downtown Nerima.

* * *

"Well here we are. Our first stop of the day," Jounouchi said when they arrived at the place he had picked out to start the trip.

Naturally, Kasumi blinked at Jounouchi's choice of the day. "An arcade?" she asked.

"Yeah, ain't it great? I found it while I was looking around town." Jounouchi grinned. "C'mon, it's a nice place. Clean, smoke free and it's close to your place."

"I don't know," Kasumi said, a bit nervously. "I have never been in an arcade."

"Oh come on. What's not to enjoy?" Jounouchi smirked as he dragged her.

"Eh! Jounouchi wait!" Kasumi cried.

__Aibou. What's the matter?__ Yami asked. __Did we not say we were going to try to get you to do different things?__

__Yes... but...__ Kasumi stammered.

__No buts. We will do something other than cleaning the dojo today.__ Yami responded.

Jounouchi paid for an hours worth of tokens. Kasumi looked around the noisy establishment, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Pushing a handful of tokens into Kasumi's hand, Jounouchi dragged her over towards a racing game. Sitting Kasumi down, he said, "Object of the game is to drive to the finish line. It takes a few tokens to get the game started."

"But I've never driven things before," Kasumi protested.

"It's okay, neither have I," Jounouchi grinned as he pointed to various places on the seat and wheel before her. "That's the stick shift, just set it to drive and you'll be fine. Press the gas to go forward, and steer with the wheel."

"Okay," Kasumi replied as she tried to do what Jounouchi had told her to do. Unfortunately, she was having a very difficult time while Jounouchi was not. It also didn't help matters that she ended up crashing into a wall. "Oh my..."

"Don't get depressed Kasumi. Its just your first time." Jounouchi assured her.

__First time out and I crash into a wall... I can't do this...__ Kasumi sighed.

__With that attitude you can't that's for sure.__ Yami replied mentally.

__Thank you for stating the obvious Yami. Think we might go home now?__ Kasumi asked.

__... it would appear I need to take a more direct hand in this situation to help.__ Yami sighed.

__Huh what do you...!!! Yami don't you even...__ was all Kasumi got to say before she felt her spirit merging with Yami's once again. All of her doubts, fears and depression were removed as Yami's confidence over powered them all.

"So you want to try a different game Kasumi?" Jounouchi asked, "Maybe you might have better luck with it."

Yami Kasumi turned her head towards Jounouchi and gave him a mysterious grin, "Put in a few more tokens. Let's give it one more try."

Jounouchi grinned at Kasumi's newfound confidence and popped in a few tokens, all the while not noticing the change in her appearance. 

Yami Kasumi smirked as she shifted into drive as her car on the screen whined to life. Punching the car into drive, Yami Kasumi screeched around corners, doing a better than usual, despite the lack of experience either her or Kasumi had in driving. A faint smile grew on her face as she drove, slowly gaining on Jounouchi who had more experience in handling the virtual cars.

__No way. She's catching up on me already?__ Jounouchi stared in disbelief. __Well then I'm just going to have to turn it up a notch.__  he grinned as he sideswiped Yami Kasumi, causing her to spin around in a three eighty for a brief second. "Sorry Kasumi," he said, grinning madly. "But in this racing game, it's all or nothing in this game."

"Very well," Yami Kasumi replied, punching the nitro button. She didn't know what it was for, just that it had a big red glow to it.

Jounouchi couldn't believe at how she took off coming right at him, "Nani?"

"And since you said this is all or nothing, I believe turn about is fair play," Yami Kasumi smirked as she swiped Jounouchi's car from the right side, causing it to skid a bit. Jounouchi tried to regain control, but not before he crashed into the wall.

"NO!" Jounouchi exclaimed as he slammed his head against the screen when he saw Yami Kasumi's car take the checkered flag.

__Are you enjoying yourself now? I know I am.__ Yami said to Kasumi.

__It's fun, actually.__ Kasumi replied, __I've never done this before, and it's exhilarating.__

__I must agree with that. I have never seen these horseless carriages before. In my day, we had servants or slaves to carry us on movable thrones.__

__Very different from Modern times to be sure.__ Kasumi returned.

__So. Want to have another run at this game?_ _Yami asked.

__Yes...but...__

__But?!__ Yami stared in disbelief, thinking Kasumi was going to make a rejection when she said instead, __Let's go play some different games after this okay?_ _Yami fell backwards when she heard that.

__Yami? Are you okay?_ _Kasumi asked.

Yami got up from her place in the puzzle and just let off a light chuckle, __I think we are definitely making progress now Kasumi.__

__Okay... but I think we should get Jounouchi back to normal now.__ Kasumi suggested.

Yami nodded and then touched Jounouchi's shoulder, "Jounouchi just get over it. It was just one game."

"But this was only your second time and you beat me!" Jounouchi muttered in disbelief.

Yami Kasumi chuckled lightly at him, "What can I say, I am a quick study. Care to make it 2 out of 3, Jou?"

"Yeah... but I'll be the winner!" Jounouchi smirked as he got back into the seat and sat back into the chair.

* * *

An hour later, Jounouchi walked out of the arcade with a normal Kasumi, one who had a smile all over her face. Jounouchi was in disbelief.

"I don't get it! I mean, you loose to me on the first time we played any new game. Whether it was P1 Racer, Soul Calibur, or Air Hockey, you still did much better and beat me in the majority of games. How is that possible?" 

"Like I said Jou, I am a quick study." Kasumi smiled as continued walking.

__Well more like you are with my help Aibou. But then he doesn't have to know that now does he?__ Yami said with a bit of superiority in her voice.

__Yami. Don't get a big head.__ Kasumi returned as she looked back to Jounouchi, "So where to now?"

"Well, let's just do some window shopping for now," Jounouchi suggested, "This is a nice area as far as I saw."

"Well you're the guide. So guide me Jou," Kasumi responded.

"It'll be my pleasure," Jounouchi said with a smile, as he was determined to give Kasumi a day that she would definitely enjoy.

* * *

Several hours later, another day at Furinkan High has ended. Luckily for Ranma, his troubles this day were not as bad as they usually were.

"And just what are you so happy about Saotome?" Nabiki asked him and she and Akane were walking home with him.

"Nothing. It's just a bit more quiet than normal," Ranma replied.

"Oh I'm so glad you think that," Akane muttered her breath, as for her today was just exactly the same as every other day she had at Furinkan. __Why can't those perverts just get the message and leave me alone?!__

When they arrived at the Dojo, they all went their own ways. However Nabiki noticed something off. It was just something not the same.  She started looking around, searching from top to bottom but she didn't find what she was looking for. She went into the kitchen and got her self a glass of water. As she was pouring it into a cup she saw a note on the counter in Kasumi's handwriting. She picked up and read it while taking a drink from her cup.

When she read it, she wished she wasn't drinking anything. _"--!!! What the?!"_

"Nabiki! What was that for?!"

Nabiki looked up and saw her younger sister, whose face was wet with the water that she spat out, but that was not important to her as what was in her hands was. "Do you have any idea where Kasumi is?"

Akane blinked for a moment, as Nabiki had not even said she was sorry for what she did. Regaining her composure she stared at her elder sister, "Nabiki. You know Kasumi sometimes goes out to do grocery shopping at this time or maybe take care of the laundry and hey don't you think you should apologize to me for..."

"She went out for the day with that guy!" Nabiki exclaimed, cutting Akane off.

_SLIDE!_

"What was that Nabiki?" Soun Tendo asked opening the door and taking a moment out of his Sougi game with Genma when he had heard something about Kasumi.

Both Akane and Nabiki shook their heads and looked totally innocent, as they both knew they didn't want their father going into one of his Demon Heads. "Oh nothing at all father. Absolutely nothing. We were just talking about someone else."

Soun just nodded and closed the door, going back to playing his game with Genma.

Nabiki let out a sigh of relief once the door had closed, "Thank goodness."

"So who's this guy that Kasumi went out with?" a low voice said from behind them.

Nabiki and Akane blinked when they heard the voice. When they turned around Ranma was right there and he took the note in Nabiki's hands and read it aloud. "Dear Family, I am going out with a friend of mine today. Will be back before dinner. Love Kasumi."

"This is very odd." Nabiki mused.

"What?" Akane shrugged. "So what if she went out with Jounouchi for the day? I mean its real no different from when I spend the day with Yuki or any of my other friends."

Ranma blinked at that, "She went out with a guy? When did I miss this?"

"Probably along with forgetting to read your mail," Akane muttered as she thrusted into Ranma's hands a soggy wet letter. "That's for you."

Ranma looked at it and saw the name and the address. "Looks like Ryoga's actually gone to Australia. That's new. I'll remember to add this to my collection of 'Die Ranma Die' post cards that he's sent from all over the globe. I think he's only got twenty countries he's missed traveling in."

"What about Kasumi? Aren't you worried at all?" Nabiki asked.

"Not really. I don't think Kasumi would make a friend with someone that would hurt her." Ranma shrugged.

"But if Jounouchi hurts her in any way..." Akane walked away, leaving her statement unfinished but its meaning was very clear.

"I pity the guy if he turns out to be a slime ball. Of course what Akane would do to him is nothing compare to what I would do." Ranma said as he walked off, just wondering a bit about when Ryoga would eventually show up.

That left Nabiki standing all alone in the kitchen asking herself, __Are they all brain dead! Do they not see something is seriously wrong here! Kasumi has never gone with any friends at all! Not since mom died!_ _Feeling definitely concerned, she decided it would be best to keep and eye out for her sister and have a talk to her once she got home. She had to get this straightened out.

* * *

"You know it's getting late," Kasumi said to Jounouchi, but she wasn't so eager to have it end. Her face showed her joy and she was clearly enjoying this day.

"You saying you want to go home now?" Jounouchi asked.

Looking at her own watch she sighed, "Its an hour before dinner or at least when I would usually start making it. I told them I'd be home before then. I don't them starting to panic, especially my father." she giggled for a moment as she thought of her father in that situation, "If he started to worry for me, he'd brawl his eyes out and the entire Dojo might get flooded."

"After seeing some of the craziness in this city, I'll believe that based on just your own word." Jounouchi replied.

"Thanks for taking me down to that market," Kasumi smiled as she looked at the jacket that she was now wearing. It had a white collar that went down to the bottom of the jacket, which was a light navy color. She had just found it during their time in the market and of course there was Yami saying to buy it because she thought it would look good on her. Kasumi found herself agreeing more with Yami every day.

"Yeah well I am glad we went there too," Jounouchi said, "Cause I bought you something." Kasumi turned around in surprise, as she looked Jounouchi, who went into his coat pocket and pulled out a small rectangular leather case. "Open it."

Kasumi did open it and inside was a bracelet made of four interwoven strands of silver with a clasp. 

"It's a friendship bracelet, Mazaki has given some out to her own friends, I figured why not give one to one of mine," Jounouchi smiled, "Of course, never really had a lot of female friends."

"Oh?" Kasumi asked, "How many?" 

"Not counting Ukyo... you and Mazaki." 

"What? I would have thought you might have gotten a lot of attention from at least some girls Jounouchi." Kasumi said.

"Well, I just have a lot of trouble trying to impress them all, try to get them to like me so I could ask them out on a date..." Jounouchi sighed, "Of course it backfires."

"Jou, have you been trying to impress me at all today?"

"Huh?" Jounouchi blinked, "No I just wanted you to have a good time."

"And your other girl friend Mazaki?" Kasumi asked.

"We've known each other for years. We got and understanding but we're just friends. I'm able to be myself with her." Jounouchi answered.

"Like you have been with me." Jounouchi looked back at Kasumi when she spoke, "Just be yourself Jounouchi. I like you a lot as a friend already. You don't need to impress anyone."

Jounouchi just stared at her for a while before smiling, "Thanks Kasumi." Looking past her happened to notice a photo booth. "Hey. How about we take a few pictures to remember this day?"

"Okay," Kasumi nodded as they walked into the Photo Booth, inserted their money, and had their pictures taken. After they were done with taking their pictures, the two watched as the pictures came out.

For Kasumi, when she saw them, they were absolutely priceless.

* * *

Almost an hour later, Jounouchi had just walked Kasumi all the way back from the bus stop back the front of the Tendo Dojo. "See. Back with about five minutes to spare."

"I know," Kasumi smiled, "Thanks for a great day Jou."

"Hey any time you want a repeat just give me a call and I'll ditch class again for ya in a heart beat." Jounouchi smirked.

Kasumi giggled at his comment, "I'll keep that in mind but you shouldn't cut classes. You do need to get an education."

"So my teachers tell me." Jounouchi rolled his eyes, "I'll see ya later Kasumi."

"Good night Jounouchi." Kasumi returned. Jounouchi made he way back to the bus stop leaving Kasumi to go back into her home. However a noise from the buses made he her realize something or someone was there. "Hello?" She ended up looking through the bushes... and found one seemingly surprised black piglet. "P-chan? Where have you been? Akane's been wondering just where you have been. She'll be happy to see you now." She picked up the piglet and walked into her house but noticed the look on his face. "What's wrong P-chan? Did something spook you?"

The black pig shook his head, but if Kasumi could have read his thoughts, she would have known that the pig was wondering just who was the man that had been with her.

* * *

An answer that Nabiki had but was at a loss as to what was going on. She had not expected her sister coming home as she did. Totally safe and looking absolutely happy.

__Just who is this Jounouchi guy? Where is he from? What school does he go to?__ Nabiki scowled. __And just what did he do to make my sister look so happy?! There is just something not right here. I know it and I am going to prove it!__

* * *

"P-CHAN!!!" Akane squealed as she held her pet pig in her arms. "Oh where have you been?" Looking at her elder sister she smiled, "Thanks for finding him Kasumi."

"It was nothing really. I just heard him in the bushes." Kasumi replied.

"But he's been gone for a few weeks now." Akane said.

Ranma however was keeping clear of line of sight for now as he knew that what he hated was inevitable. __Do you hate me kami-sama? I had a very nice day aside from Kuno, but he's jerk to everyone so it really doesn't matter.__ Shaking his head, he watched Akane go upstairs with her 'P-chan', who shot a glare at Ranma, to give him a bath. Of course Akane didn't see it at all, but Ranma knew that the time before another fight with his rival was going to be coming shortly so he figured he'd just relax and just wait until it happened.

* * *

However this time there was someone else that happened to notice the pig's stare.

__Is it me? Or did that pig just look he wanted to kill Ranma?__ Yami asked Kasumi.

__Excuse me?__ Kasumi gasped in disbelief. __Yami, if that was meant as a joke I didn't find it funny.__

__It wasn't a joke. When I saw that pig when you first picked him up, I could feel strange vibrations from him. As I looked into his eyes it was if they had an awareness. An awareness that only human beings have.__ Yami explained.

__P-chan is a pig. Not a man.__ Kasumi replied as she walked up the stairs to go get some cleaning supplies. She needed to go do the laundry since it probably would have been a mess today. She could already hear Yami groaning about that but Kasumi decided she had her free time and now she had to do some work around the house. She had gotten everything except she knew there were some dirty towels in the bathroom and she thought to throw them into the wash while she was at it.

__Aibou, you don't need to do more work for yourself.__

__Its not more work.__ Kasumi returned. __I think of it as making the next day lighter.__ She looked into Akane's room and saw Akane in there. __I guess she finished giving P-chan his bath. Well then I can just get the towels then.__ she went to open the door...

Only for it to open up on its own, or rather by a dripping wet male teenager who rushed right past Kasumi and screaming out, "RANMA!!!"

__By Osiris... who was that?__ Yami muttered.

__Ryoga? But... P-chan's supposed to be in the bathroom...__  Kasumi blinked.

"Was that Ryoga?" Akane asked as she rushed out of her room. She looked inside the bath room and groaned, "Oh no! P-chan's gone again!"

"Huh?" Kasumi muttered.

"P-chan! P-chan where are you?" Akane called out as she started to look for him.

Kasumi just stared at her sister but looked down at the ground and saw water over the floor, in areas of someone rushing out of the bathtub but by far too much for a small piglet to have thrown out of the tub.

"Oh... my..." Kasumi gasped as she leaned up against the wall, trying to figure out what was going on. 

But if Yami's own slow growing anger was any indication, she knew the truth already.

Ryoga WAS P-chan.

* * *

"RANMA!!!" Ryoga screamed at the top of his lungs as he saw Ranma lying on the floor of the living/dinging-room, flipping through the pages of a martial arts magazine and a tomato in his mouth

Ranma looked up with contempt at Ryoga for a few moments. He looked at the lost boy who was glowing with rage.

__Geez, what I do now?__ Ranma thought as he started to stand up to look Ryoga in the eyes... He could see the fury in them... But as he usually does, Ranma manages to stick his foot into his mouth.

"Now what do you want now, P-chan?" was Ranma last taunt before finally angering Ryoga to the point of attacking him. 

Ryoga leapt at Ranma, but Ranma stepped to the side, leaving Ryoga to fall from the porch and landed onto the ground in the backyard. Ryoga frowned and scratched the back of his head.

"Damn Ryoga, maybe you should rest this evening. I mean, it's been what? Four, five days since out last fight? You still need the rest..."

_CRASH!!!_

Ranma's eyes widened as Akane had once again malleted him in the back of the head. He slumped to the ground by Ryoga.

"That will teach you for picking on Ryoga!" Akane declared before stomping back into the house in a huff and slamming the sliding door behind her. 

* * *

Kasumi recalled everything that she had seen. She had seen Ryoga go through the hallway and running through the house chanting 'DIE RANMA'. She heard sounds of fighting so she went to look and saw Ranma make a comment again that was negative to Akane, causing Akane to come out of nowhere to mallet Ranma down to the ground and once more with Akane totally clueless. She couldn't believe her own sister's complete obliviousness.

Did she not see that Ryoga was her beloved P-chan?

__He... he slept... he slept with my sister!__ Kasumi thought as she started to clench her fists, anger at this was coming in but she felt a peaceful calm telling her to just forget it and go about cleaning. And she would have done just that.

Except unlike similar occasions she was now in possession of the Millennium Puzzle.

__That hypocrite... how dare he speak about honor on Ranma! How dare he! And he's supposed to be a martial artist!__ Kasumi growled as her Millennium Puzzle glowed. 

"Hey Kasumi is my laundry done yet?" Nabiki asked as she came up the stairs and into the hallway. 

"Why don't you do it yourself Nabiki?" was the cold reply given by Kasumi

Nabiki blinked in surprise, "... excuse me?"

Yami Kasumi turned around to face her sister. "I've done your wash ever since mother, kami-sama rest over her soul for all eternity, passed on so I think you can at least for once use your own two hands for something other than counting your yen notes."

"But... but I have things to do!" Nabiki stammered. "And what about dinner? Who is going to make dinner for us Kasumi?"

Yami Kasumi snorted, "Why don't you go order take out from the Nekohatten tonight like you all did _last_ night instead of waiting for the meal I spent the day working on yesterday or you think I forget things like that?" she advanced on Nabiki. "And why do you always say 'you have things to do'? I swear you're turning out to be as bad as Akane."

"Wha?!" Nabiki gasped, her Ice Queen face broken by the shear disbelief how her elder sister was addressing her. 

"Now if you excuse me, I have something to do now and I'm not going to wait any longer to get it done." with that Yami Kasumi turned on her heal and walked out of the dojo.

After that verbal lashing from the Angel of the family, Nabiki did the only thing she could.

She fainted.

* * *

Meanwhile outside of the Dojo, the fight between the two martial artists continued. "You know, she really is an uncute tomboy..." Ranma muttered as he focused on Ryoga but his eyes widened slightly as he saw the lost boy starting to glow yet again.

"DAMN YOU RANMA! I SHALL TEACH YOU A LESSON FOR INSULTING AKANE!!!" was all Ryoga got out before he lunged himself off the ground and at Ranma.

Ryoga was on top of Ranma's back and hitting him repeatedly in the back of the head. "RANMA, TONIGHT YOU WILL D-"

Ryoga didn't get to continue as Ranma used a sudden burst of strength and smashed the back of his head into Ryoga's face. Ranma felt Ryoga fall off him. He rubbed the back of his head as he saw Ryoga on the ground holding his nose.

"RANMA!!!" was all that the lost boy could scream while in pain. Ranma would feel sorry for Ryoga if his head weren't already in pain.

"Geez you're such a pain Ryoga... Why don't you just leave me alone already?" Ranma finally demanded of the pig boy. Ryoga got up, his anger flaring to life in a red, fiery aura around him.

"HOW DARE YOU!? YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT!!!" Ryoga all but screamed in rage at Ranma. Ryoga then started charging at Ranma, fists flying.

"Ryoga..." Ranma started, but didn't get to finish, his eyes wide in shock as he saw Ryoga had practically gotten right on top of him. "Crap..." was all he could get to mutter as Ryoga pulled his fist back a bit and smashed it into Ranma's chest, and sending the pig-tailed boy flying. The sound of Ranma's ribs cracking from the initial received blow of Ryoga's fist was quite audible.

Ranma landed on the ground of the backyard breathing heavily. "Damn it..." he cursed before coughing up a bit of blood.

"And now it ends..." Ryoga stated before rushing at Ranma, grabbing him by the back of his pigtail. Ryoga punched Ranma in the face, and then pulled his fist back again and smashes him in the stomach. Ranma hunched over in pain and began to cough up blood again. Ryoga wound his fist up, prepared to hit Ranma again. 

"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE SAOTOME!" Ryoga screamed as he sent his fist forward. However, Ranma smashed his right knee up and brought his right elbow down on Ryoga's wrist. Ryoga's eyes widen in pain as his wrist registers the pain it received. Ryoga dropped Ranma to the ground and began to hold onto his hurt limb tightly with his good hand.

"My hand! Damn it Ranma this hurts!!!" Ryoga cursed as a slightly blood-covered Ranma made it back to his feet, continuing the fight as they broke through the fence and out on the street.

"Ryoga, won't you shut the hell up!?" Ranma shouted as he glared at Ryoga. __Ryoga's been bad before but nothing like this...Guess I better end this now before Ryoga causes more trouble...__

But then out of the blue, Ranma saw someone he had _definitely_ not expected walking toward him and Ryoga. __Kasumi?!__ He stared in disbelief as he saw Kasumi Tendo standing right behind the eternal lost boy.

Unfortunately, this lapse in concentration on the fight at hand cost Ranma big time as Ryoga took advantage of Ranma's moment of surprise by landing a punch right into Ranma's rib cage, knocking the wind out of Ranma, before throwing him into wall of the alley. "YES! Now I have you Ranma! SHI SHI HOKODAN!!!" the Lost Boy screamed as he nailed Ranma with his trademark chi attack. The force of the attack with Ranma's defenses down caused the pigtailed martial artist to black out leaving him at Ryoga's mercy.

"At last vengeance shall be mine! Finally you will die Ranma Saotome!" Ryoga vowed with a sneer as he powered up to launch the mother of all Shi Shi Hokodan, ready to kill the downed Ranma... had it not been for someone speaking.

"You truly are an honorless man Ryoga Hibiki." 

"What!" Ryoga roared as he turned around ready to attack the accuser but then paled and dropped his fist when he saw whom it was, "Kasumi?"

"You are a hypocrite Ryoga. So drowned in the lies you have made to protect yourself you have actually believe them to be the truth." Yami Kasumi said with an icy tone.

"Kasumi... what are you talking about?" Ryoga shook his head. __Just what has gotten into Kasumi?__

"You know what I am talking about..." Yami Kasumi stated as she narrowed her eyes at him, "'P-chan'." 

It took three seconds for Ryoga comprehend what she had just said before turning back to the downed Ranma and started to kick him in the stomach while he was down. "Ranma you coward! You told her you honorless bastard! Now that you are unable to defend yourself I will..." Ryoga stopped talking as he felt someone gripping his right arm. When he turned his head around, he saw it was Yami Kasumi holding his arm. "Kasumi let go of my arm. I must make Ranma pay for all of the..."

That was all Ryoga got to say as Yami Kasumi threw him over her shoulder into the wall. She glared down at Ryoga, her eyes narrowed at him, her face showing her anger, "Will you kindly please shut... the hell... up!"

Even smashed into the wall, Ryoga's head popped out, eyes wide as saucers, he couldn't believe what he had just heard, __I don't believe she just said that! I don't think she's ever said the word hell in her life!__

"Do you have any idea how sick and tired I am of your constant 'I'm going to kill Ranma' rant?" Yami Kasumi shouted. "Day in and day out I had to listen to that and watch as you kept on breaking through my home and I had to repair the damn walls... _by myself_!"

"K... Kasumi... I..." Ryoga started but Yami Kasumi cut him off with a glare.

"Not another word until I say so 'P-chan'." She spat venomously at the Lost Boy. "And for your information I found out without Ranma. In fact I saw you change as you ran right out the bathroom. Akane however still has no idea that you are 'P-chan'. How that thick headed tomboy sister of mine hasn't been able to put two and two together eludes me."

__She's actually insulting her own sister?!__ Ryoga stared at her in shock. __Just what has gotten into Kasumi? This can't be her?!__

"Enough of this small talk. You want to settle this right now Ryoga? Fine then." Yami Kasumi said as a sly smirk formed on her face. Ryoga was wondering what the smile was for but was at an even greater loss when he saw her Millennium Puzzle glowing brightly. When the light had faded, there was now a game board with a single six sided dice on top between the two of them.

"What is this?" Ryoga asked.

"Well if you play my game and you win then you will finally be able to kill Ranma." Yami Kasumi smirked.

"WHAT?!" Ryoga exclaimed in shock, disbelief and eagerness. Ryoga couldn't that believe Kasumi was capable of this but he was also thanking Kami-Sama for this seemingly wondrous opportunity.

"The game we will play will be dice rolling. In Ancient Egypt, a dice roll could've determined a person's fate." Yami Kasumi smiled. "Today we will decide Ranma's fate. Are you game Ryoga?"

"What are the rules?" Ryoga asked.

"One dice throw by each person. I will go first and if you can throw a number smaller than or equal to my number you will win and I'll allow you to finish Ranma off with a Shi Shi Hokodan. We'll then shoot bullets into his corpse to make it look like he was mutilated by a street gang and deposit the body somewhere it will make that conclusion seem more plausible to the police..." Seeing Ryoga's smile and dreams about this Yami Kasumi held up her hand and said, "But _only_ if you win. For if I win I will decide your fate."

The opportunity to get rid of Ranma forever as well as believing Kasumi couldn't give Ryoga any kind of real punishment was enough to make him agree, "That's fine by me! Let's do this! I want to end his pathetic life once and for all!"

"We shall see." Yami Kasumi replied as she threw her dice and it landed on a six. 

"Ha! I win! Ranma's dead! There's nothing higher than a six on a dice!" Ryoga shouted with joy however stopped when he saw Yami Kasumi's serious expression. "Didn't you hear me? I said I get to kill Ranma."

"Throw your dice." Yami Kasumi told him sternly.

_"What?!"_ Ryoga yelled incredulously, "But I've already won!" 

"Roll your dice." Yami Kasumi repeated to him. 

"Fine... you're the board for me Ranma!" Ryoga smirked as he threw it right at Ranma's head and it bounced to the ground. "Yes! I have a one! I win!" However he was broken out of his joy by Yami Kasumi's laughter. He turned back to her in anger, "What?! What's so funny?!"

"I'm sorry Ryoga," Yami Kasumi said with a knowing smirk, "But you lost. I have a lower number than you."

"Huh? What do you mean!" Ryoga shouted. "It's a one!"

"Yes it is..." Yami Kasumi nodded however she pointed to that same die, "But it's also a six as well."

"Huh?!" Ryoga turned around and looked at his dice... except it had been cracked in half and it was face up on the one... and a six.

"One... plus six... is seven." Yami Kasumi smiled. "You lose."

"NO! I can't lose! I have Ranma dead to rights!" Ryoga shouted as he quickly started to power up for a Shi Shi Hokodan but suddenly Yami Kasumi was right front of him. "Get out of my way Kasumi!"

"Ryoga Hibiki, you have allowed your hatred and demons you never knew you had blind you from the truth... NOW LET ME OPEN YOUR EYES!" Yami Kasumi shouted as her third eye appeared.

"Nani?" Ranma gasped. "What... what is that?!"

"You will now be punished according to the rules of the Shadow Games," Yami Kasumi stated as her puzzle glowed brighter, "And the Game Penalty that I will give unto you shall be... HEART KILLER!" she cried as she shot out her right hand and aimed it at Ryoga.

"What are you..." Ryoga shouted as he felt his life flashing before his eyes. And it was now that he was faced with the truth. The truth about his life and how it was not Ranma's fault for the bread, not Ranma's fault for the duel, not Ranma's fault for his own pain, not Ranma's fault for being cursed.

It was all _his_ fault.

"No... oh kami-sama no..." Ryoga gasped as he just fell to his knees and started moaning and wailing like never before in his life.

Yami Kasumi shook her head in disgust for a bit before her puzzle flashed and she changed back to Kasumi. She walked over to Ranma who was now starting to wake up.

"Oh man... I really got sloppy today..." Ranma shook his head. When he looked up he saw Kasumi. 

"Need any help Ranma?" Kasumi asked him, however the pigtailed martial artist got up on his own two feet.

"Thanks... but I'll be fine..." Ranma groaned. He looked forward and saw Ryoga on the ground, brawling and seeming to be like a madman perhaps. "What happened to Ryoga?"

"I think maybe he saw the error of his ways," Kasumi replied.

"That or the last few blows we gave messed us both up worse than usual," Ranma scratched the back of his head. He suddenly blinked as he looked back at Kasumi, "Um, what are you doing here Kasumi?"

"Oh I thought I'd take a walk outside." Kasumi replied.

"Well, we better get going. I really want to get back and inside before the old man sees me like this." Ranma said.

"Alright." Kasumi replied as she and Ranma walked out of alley and left Ryoga to his eternal sorrow.

The only difference now was that Ryoga knew he had no one to blame but himself for it.

* * *

_The Next Day..._

It is another normal day at the Tendo Dojo, Ranma and Genma are now having their morning sparing session. Ranma having a smug look on his face as he kicked his father down into the koi pond, turning him back into a panda for the umpteenth time.

"Enjoying your wet fur coat Pops," Ranma smirked, "Guess that will teach you for being slow on the draw." 

***Foolish Boy! You must learn to respect your elders!*** Genma-Panda signed.

"You always say that Pops," Ranma shrugged as he walked away, knowing it was time for him to get going to school, this time a bit early as he wanted to avoid Ryoga, who Ranma was pretty sure was going to be at the school waiting for him when he normally came to school.

He didn't expect to literally run into Ryoga. "Whoa! Hey bacon breath what's the big idea?!"

"I deserve that. I am a hypocrite."

"Nani?" Ranma blinked when he heard Ryoga. His voice wasn't full of anger and rage directed at him. Rather, it was of a man who felt defeated. As he looked at Ryoga, he saw that Ryoga had his head down, refusing to even make up contact with him. The depression that Ranma was reading from the Lost Boy was greater than anything he had ever felt before. He felt like this was a set up. That Ryoga might try a kamikaze stunt just to get rid of him. Ranma kept his guard up the entire time, expecting Ryoga to just try to sneak attack him with the Shi Shi Hokodan.

So its absolutely natural that he was totally floored by what happened.

"I'm sorry."

Ranma did a face fault as he looked at the Lost Boy was now raising his head to look at his rival. Ranma could see Ryoga's face, and looked like one etched in shame. "... what did you say?"

"I'm sorry... Ranma... I'm sorry for everything I've done to you," Ryoga bowed his head in shame. All Ranma could do was just stare at the former Lost Boy. "Our vendetta... is over... I will never fight you again. You have my word and my vow and this time it is honorable... good bye." With that he then turned around and walked away from the Tendo dojo.  

Ranma just stared after the figure of the Former Lost boy for five minutes before he spoke his first words. "I'm free of him..." a smile then formed on his face. "I'm free... I'M FREE!!! YAHOO!!!" Ranma cheered as he jumped up and down in joy. "YES! FINALLY NO MORE P-CHAN TRYING TO KILL ME EVERYDAY! YES! YES! YES!"

* * *

As Ryoga was about to walk out of the Dojo entirely, he felt like someone was behind him and he was right.

"You are doing the right thing," Kasumi said softly and with feeling.

Ryoga didn't say anything for a while until he faced her and looked her in the eyes, "Who are you really?" At Kasumi's stare, he continued, "You aren't the same Kasumi Tendo that I know. She couldn't have done what you did last night. How did you?"

Kasumi just gave a sly smirk, "That's my little secret for now. I think you can understand that... can't you P-chan."

Ryoga chuckled a little at that, "So now you are going to start calling me that too?"

"No. I only did that now to make a point clear," Kasumi replied.

Ryoga looked at her for a while before nodding, "You did. I won't pry. I owe you that much." 

"Where are you going to go now?" Kasumi asked. "Should I be expecting you back any time soon?"

"Well I haven't gotten really lost in the last twelve hours so I don't expect to come crashing through a wall of the Dojo," Ryoga replied, "I need to get out of Nermia for a while though. I've just wanted to beat Ranma for so long. That was my only purpose in life." Looking forward a small smile crept on to his face, "Now I just want to see what I can do with my life."

"I wish you a safe journey Ryoga," Kasumi smiled.

"You should leave this place too you know." 

"Nani?" Kasumi blinked.

"If you ever want to live, then you need to leave this place Kasumi." Ryoga shook his head, "I don't know if it makes sense yet, but it will."

Kasumi just watched him walk away, but in her mind, she wondered about Ryoga said.

And her heart, she wondered if he was right.

* * *

From her vantage point, Nabiki scowled as she watched that scene with Ryoga and Kasumi. __Okay. That clenches it! Something is DEFINITELY wrong my sister! She's not herself and I don't like it!__ She stared down at Kasumi intently, fearing in her mind that some sort of magic might be making her differently, though it was definitely worse than that whole evil Oni incident.

__I don't care what it is that is causing this but it has to be evil magic.__ Nabiki mused, __And I'm going to get to the bottom of this. One way or the other.__

**To Be Continued...**

_Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. To those of you that have asked about 'When am I going to have Kasumi get a Dueling Deck', I will tell you that she will get her own Dueling Deck. However I have got it set up that Duel Monster won't even be mentioned until Chapter 6. To give a progress report, work has been done on Chapter 4-6 but I don't have a definite time to tell you when I'll be able to finish them. It all just depends on time. In the mean time let's talk about what's in store for Chapter 4. Kasumi continues to learn to live more outside of her sheltered home life, causing Nabiki to start investigating to find out just what has happened to her sister. Another Shadow Game will be played and Yami will have a bit of spotlight in that chapter. Until then, take care and see you around. _


	4. A Day at the Carnival

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Ranma 1/2 and Yu-Gi-Oh belong to their respective companies. I am doing this fanfic for my own pleasure and hope that you will enjoy it. Jounouchi Katsuya is the original name for Joey Wheeler from Yu-Gi-Oh. _

**Kasumi the Game Queen   
By David Knight**

**Chapter 4: A Day at the Carnival**

It had been two weeks since Ryoga had left the Tendo Dojo, declaring that his feud with Ranma was finally over.

Surprisingly it had been eerily calm and peaceful in the Tendo Dojo since then. Ranma had only managed to anger Akane enough to mallet him once the entire time. Other than that they had actually remained civil to one another. It was probably due to the fact that Ranma was enjoying his newfound joy at no longer being bothered by the eternal lost boy. 

Genma and Soun didn't pay it much mind, as they were too absorbed in playing shogi and in trying to get the families united as always. 

Akane could be found in the dojo breaking breaks or trying to train after school, though she kept wondering where her beloved P-chan was.

Everything seemed to be running very well indeed. That was what Kasumi thought in any case as she woke up peacefully for the fourteenth day straight.

__I actually think the work load is getting lighter now that Ryoga's stopped fighting Ranma,__ she mused to herself as she got herself dressed. She noticed that she was wearing less and less of her dresses and skirts and more of the type of clothing that she picked out for herself and that Jounouchi had found for her. Today she was wearing a white shirt, red pants and the light navy blue jacket she had bought two weeks ago.

__You seem more excited than you usually are Aibou,__ Yami said to her through their connection.

__I just... feel surer of myself. I'm starting to understand what it is like to really live my life,__ Kasumi replied. __And then there's the surprise that Jounouchi and Ukyo have planned for us today.__

__I did find it strange that they wouldn't tell us what they had in mind,__ Yami said.

__Well it wouldn't be a surprise if they told us now would it?__ Kasumi quipped.

__True,__ Yami chuckled, __but why did you stay up late last night, cleaning the entire house?__

__Because I wanted to have this entire day to my two friends and myself,__ Kasumi smiled, __That last time with Jounouchi was only a half-day. So now I am taking your advice Yami. I'm not going to work today. This is my day off.__

Yami smiled proudly from her place in the Millennium Puzzle, __You are learning very well Kasumi. I do believe though that it's nearly ten am.__

__Yes it is. They'll be here in fifteen minutes,__ Kasumi realized. __Let's not keep anyone waiting.__

Upon descending the stairs, Kasumi was greeted by Nabiki who stood at the bottom, arms folded. "Hey big sis, is there any breakfast today?"

Kasumi shook her head. "No, sorry. I'm not cooking today."

"What?!" Nabiki exclaimed, blinking. "What do you mean you aren't cooking?"

"I mean simply that," Kasumi said to her, "I am not cooking today. In fact, I am not doing any work around the house at all today."

Nabiki's eyes narrowed. "What is wrong with you lately? Since that Jounouchi started coming over, you've been acting very weird."

Kasumi took notice of that and looked back at her younger sister. "What's weird about living like a normal girl, Nabiki?"

"It's.... just not you!" Nabiki said, her voice failing in its conviction.

"Not me?" Kasumi asked, open-mouthed. It took her just a moment to gather her own wits before giving her reply, "You're right, I'm not like I used to be. I'm much happier now Nabiki and I like feeling like I do a lot more now than how I used to."

Nabiki scowled. __When did my sister ever act like this?__

***Knock Knock***

"Now if you will excuse me," Kasumi said walking past Nabiki, "my friends are waiting for me."

"What friends?" Nabiki asked, following her sister who opened the door to see Jounouchi and... "...Ukyo?"

"Heya Sugar, " Ukyo said to Nabiki.

"Oi Kasumi. Ready for our surprise?" Jounouchi said with smirk.

"Ready whenever you are," Kasumi smiled back.

"Well, let's going," Jounouchi said, "Ladies first, and that includes you too, cousin."

"Keep it up, Jounouchi and you'll find yourself with my battle spatula in your face," Ukyo teased as she, Kasumi and Jounouchi walked away from the Tendo Dojo.

They left a twitching Nabiki behind them. __C-co-cousin?! Jounouchi is a cousin of Ukyo's?!__ Doing her best to compose herself, she decided going out to investigate this personally wouldn't do at all. Her sister would definitely be on to her.

She would not, however, be expecting her to send one of her underlings to spy on her.

* * *

It took them about thirty minutes of walking and taking a bus to get to where Jounouchi and Ukyo had planned to go. Kasumi was wondering the entire time what exactly they had planned but they still hadn't told her.

They didn't have to say a word when at last Kasumi saw a school. This school, however, had something very special going on. "A festival?"

"Yup. Haze Jr. High's Fall Festival," Ukyo replied. "This used to be my school. After graduating from here..."

"You ended up moving to Nerima and then ran into Ranma," Kasumi supplied.

"Pretty much," Ukyo shrugged. "But Haze was a great school."

"Even if you pretended to be a boy there just like you did with every other school you went to," Jounouchi quipped.

"Very funny Jounouchi," Ukyo rolled her eyes at him. "Remember why we picked coming here?"

"Of course I do," Jounouchi smirked. "We wanted to give Kasumi something to experience that she's never had before."

Kasumi was only half listening to their comments as she was looking out to the festival grounds a bit, or what she could see from where she was outside. There were many different stands and areas to go to and there were lots of people seemingly enjoying themselves_. _Is this how normal people act? How they like to have fun?__

__Define normal, Aibou,__ Yami cut in. __We are not 'normal', or at least what this society considers to be normal.__

__Yami..._ _Kasumi sighed.

__Sorry, but what I am trying to say is that these people try to enjoy life instead of just living it.__

__And that's what I've been doing for over ten years. Just living. Not enjoying or working with life. Just living and doing what I was told.__ Kasumi knew that in the last few weeks had had a very profound affect upon her. She had changed already and she knew it. She wasn't the same sheltered, innocent girl that she had been. She was still changing, trying to find out just who she was becoming.

So far, she liked where she was going.

"Oi. Kasumi?"

"Nani?" Kasumi blinked and looked at Ukyo, who had spoken. 

"Are you okay?" Ukyo asked, "You looked sort of spaced out for a moment there."

"I'm sorry, just had something on my mind," Kasumi shrugged.

"Well if it was housework then just forget about it," Jounouchi said with a smirk, "We came here to have fun now."

Kasumi's face had a small smile form on it, "Then let's go have some fun."

But even as Kasumi, Ukyo and Jounouchi purchased their tickets into the Festival, they had no idea of what was about to happen... or the people that they would meet.

* * *

"That Idiot! She isn't even here! And I have no money!"

"Hikaru, could you calm down a little bit?"

Thirteen-year-old Shindou Hikaru growled slightly at his companion Fujiwarano Sai. There was a definite difference between the two though. Hikaru was a living human being, messy brown hair with a shock of blonde in it that framed his face, wearing jeans and a black/white shirt with an 'x' on the front.

Sai on the other hand was a ghost that only Hikaru could see. A long violet haired pale man with a hint of makeup, dressed in a Heian Era kimono of a sensei of the arts.

"Why should I Sai?" Hikaru growled, "Am I supposed to just watch people eat?" his stomach growled then, making his face redden, "Damn that Akari. Why does she have to be late?!"

Sai fought back a bit of laughter, "Hikaru try to relax. Everyone else seems to be having a good time here."

"Yeah but I'm hungry," Hikaru muttered, kicking a rock to the side. As he turned into that direction, he saw many different booths there, among them was one for playing...

"Go! Hikaru they have a booth for playing Go!" Sai exclaimed.

"I know. I know Sai," Hikaru sighed, "Well maybe playing Go will take my mind of off food. Let's go have a look huh?" However Hikaru hadn't gotten more than ten steps before he realized something was really wrong.

Sai wasn't head of him rushing for the boards. As Hikaru turned around he saw Sai... looking rigid. As if he was almost frozen. "Sai?"

"Hikaru... did you feel it?" Sai breathed, his voice low.

"Feel what?" Hikaru asked, "What is with you?"

"I just felt something powerful brush right past me..." Sai said seriously, "I've never felt anything like it in my life."

"Really?" Hikaru asked intrigued. 

"Hikaru, can you see if anyone looks out of the ordinary."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" the ghost's protégé asked, rolling his eyes.

"Well you can see me right. Maybe you can see this presence I felt," Sai returned.

Deciding to humor the spirit, Hikaru looked around the area, not walking anywhere. Everyone looked pretty much the same. __Maybe Sai's just over reacting. I mean there can't be anyone who...?!__ Hikaru's eyes were wide as he looked over saw a group of three. Two of the people, a long brown haired girl and dirty blond haired boy were as normal as everyone else. 

It was the girl in the middle that got Hikaru's attention. He could see a gold and silver aura all over her. He didn't know what it was, he had never see anything like it but he knew if he could see that when everyone else around her was normal, then she had to be someone special.

"You see him?" Sai asked.

"Not him... her," Hikaru returned, "And boy is she putting out an aura. I don't feel power like you do Sai but I can see it and it's all over her." However when he turned his head to look for her again, she was gone. "Oh damn it! She's gone."

"No. She's still here." Sai said softly, "I can still feel her presence. She hasn't left the festival. I don't think she will for some time."

"You want to meet her don't you?" Hikaru asked.

"Hai," Sai nodded but to Hikaru's dismay, saw his head return to the game booths, "But now let's go play Go!"

Hikaru put a hand over his face as he saw Sai going for the Go tables and knew he had to go there as well. "I knew it wouldn't have lasted... still. It's definitely refreshing to know Go isn't _everything_ that he thinks about." As he walked toward the booth, Hikaru could only wonder about the girl he had seen, and hope that he would see her again.

* * *

Over the next hour, Kasumi found herself really enjoying herself, enjoying the different attractions at several of the booths with Jounouchi and Ukyo. There had been ones run by several of the school clubs, showing off what they did to the public. 

"Hey I'm going to get something for us to eat," Jounouchi said while they were walking. 

"And I should go with you because I know which food actually is good," Ukyo added, "You'd eat anything, even if it was poison."

"Funny," Jounouchi rolled his eyes, "Want anything Kasumi?"

"No I'm fine," Kasumi replied, "You go and get what ever you want."

"We'll be right back sugar," Ukyo said as she and Jounouchi walked over to the food stands. Kasumi started to look around at her surroundings, as she was in a different part of the festival area now. 

Looking to right, she saw many different booths. __Gaming booths,__ she realized when she saw people playing games over there. She decided to take a look for herself. 

As Kasumi made a turn to avoid one person, she hadn't expected to bump into another person, causing both of them to fall to the ground. "Oh my," she said as she started to get up.

"So sorry. I should have been watching where I was going."

Kasumi looked forward to see the person that she had bumped into. He looked about Jounouchi's age. He was wearing light pants with a blue and white striped shirt under a light blue short-sleeved jacket. His hair was white and went down to his shoulders and he had gray eyes. His face was like that of an innocent.

"No that's quite alright. I was at fault myself." Kasumi replied, "I was looking to go to the game booths. See what they were like."

"So that means you like to play games?" the young boy asked.

Kasumi gave him a small smile. "You could say that. And you?"

"Some games, nothing really dangerous." he said with a smile.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. Tendo Kasumi," she said kindly holding her hand out.

"Bakura Ryou," the young man replied taking her hand. However his eyes ended up turning towards the object around Kasumi's neck. A look that didn't go unnoticed. 

"Is there something wrong?" Kasumi asked.

"Where did you get that pendent?" Bakura asked, "Its so huge. I've never seen anything like it."

Kasumi looked down and saw that her Millennium Puzzle was indeed showing now. __Well with something this big, you really can't wear it under your shirt. It would look silly. I really should wear it more openly now.__ "It's actually a puzzle I put together. You could call it a good luck charm."

"I see," Bakura replied softly.

"Well then. Since we were both heading for the game booths," Kasumi started to say, "Why don't we..."

***CRASH!***

"Make way losers! This is our spot!"

"AH! Stop it! We were here already!"

"Shut up! We're upper classmen so you do what we say!"

"What the..." Kasumi and Bakura muttered at the same time as they looked toward the game booths... or what was supposed to be the game booths.

For now they saw a horde of older kids with cooking equipment, along the largest grill that either of them had ever seen in their lives, being the cause of the disturbance.

"Their uniforms are like the other students here," Bakura said after a moment, "Meaning they must belong to Haze Jr. High as well."

Kasumi could not believe what she was seeing, as she was seeing upperclassmen of Haze Jr. High taking bats to the game booths, swinging at them _and_ at the people that were there. Both students and normal people. "How can they do this..."

"YA!!!"

"Huh?!" Kasumi whirled around at the cry of a young girl, no older than eight who was on the ground crying. 

She had been an accidental victim of these boys' acts.

"Madoi!" cried the child's mother who embraced the crying girl. Suddenly, looming over her was a tall young man, with short black hair, wearing a cooking outfit and had the large grill behind him.

"Get out of the way lady, and take your crybaby with you!" he sneered, "I got cooking to do with my big bad grill and no one is going to get in my way! Especially not a bunch of a gaming geeks that are just so pathetic."

"What an arrogant fellow," Bakura spat, "Don't you think so Kasumi... Kasumi?" When he turned to look at her, he froze completely. Kasumi's fists were clenched, her face tightened, her eyes never leaving the sight of the woman and her child.

__How dare he... How DARE he say that to her and her child! How dare he even mock her!__ Kasumi growled, her own anger growing. These last few weeks, the calm that she had always kept had been dissolving away, as she bore witness to more violent and heinous actions of people. Their total disregard for their fellow man and how they treated people like they were beneath them, it sickened her right down to her core. __Yami...__

__Normally, in situations like this, I would advise you to consider your actions and if you truly wish to get involved,__ The spirit replied, however her own voice was laced with anger, __However, I am with you in this instance one hundred percent Aibou.__

It only took a second for the change to occur, for Yami to merge with Kasumi once more. She turned to face Bakura, "Bakura. I have two friends named Kunoji Ukyo and Katsuya Jounouchi."

"Jounouchi? You know Jounouchi?" Bakura asked.

"If they come looking for me before I'm finished with this trash," Yami Kasumi continued, "Tell them not to worry at all." Without another word she walked towards the chaos, intent on playing a game with those foolish students.

* * *

Were it anyone else, Kasumi's secret would have remained safe, as no ordinary mortal could tell the difference between her change from her normal self to when she is merged with Yami.

Bakura was not an ordinary human.

He stood there, looking after her form, which was now disappearing into the chaos, his eyes wide. __I don't... I don't believe it... she has one... she's... like me.__ He saw her change, the gold and silver light that came over and then the unruly silver stripes in the front of her hair, and the change in her facial appearance. He could see the changes as clearly as night and day for one very important reason.

Walking away from the area, he went into a shadowed area by a tent and pulled out from under his shirt a large golden ring with a metal triangle inside. It had a large eye engraved in its center and several metal points hanging on the circle's outer rim. 

On Bakura's face was a smile, __I wonder how he'll react to this bit of news. He might have said to keep quiet all day, but after all the grief he's given me over the last year and a half, what I'll feel from him will probably make up for it.__ Holding the ring tightly, he concentrated his thoughts into one phrase. __WAKE UP!__

__RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! RYOU!!!__

__Did I wake you Bakura?__ the human owner of the Millennium Ring asked.

__Yes you did you stupid boy!__ Bakura growled, __I thought I said if I was going to give you a day off from searching for the other six Millennium Items, you wouldn't disturb me at all! I need to rest so that we can begin another search in the morning.__

__Bakura...__ Ryou started to say but his spirit interrupted him, __I am not through yet! You haven't proven very useful at all to me! I haven't found even a trace of the Items, and you think in this age of civilization, it would be easier to find them. I have a good mind to...__

__You know you are going to miss the Shadow Game if you keep talking,__ Ryou returned.

__Shadow Game?! What are you...__ Bakura stopped talking when at last he felt it, the waves of power that were rippling out. The waves that came from, __... a Millennium Item?__

__The Puzzle if you want to be specific.__ Ryou replied, a grin on his face, __So what was that about being useless Bakura?__

__... all right. Maybe you aren't totally useless.__ Bakura conceded. __Now get walking over to that direction. It has been nearly five thousand years since I've seen someone other me play a Shadow Game. I'm very much intrigued to see how someone using one of the Pharaoh's treasures plays using it.__

__As you wish, Bakura,__ Ryou replied, though in his mind, he wondered what Bakura's reaction would be to seeing it was a woman that wore the Pharaoh's treasured item around her neck.

* * *

Shindou Hikaru really hated his luck some times. First this guy Kaga from the shougi club came in, ruined a Go board he and this kid Tsutsui, started to say that he hated Go and Touya Akira. Then he ended up having to play the guy in a Go game or he'd end up taking a dunk in a water tank. Unfortunately he made a mistake that cost him so badly that not even Sai's help could make him win. He lost by half a moku.

However it was that fact that he came back that made Kaga toss to him Tsutsui's own uniform, giving it to him and then telling him that he was going to participate in a Go tournament with them. Hikaru had no idea what was going through his mind but at least it seemed the trouble had passed.

Unfortunately, his cursed luck had decided to kick in again as a bunch of Haze Jr. High upperclassmen just came rushing through the game stands, tearing stuff down and starting to put their own things down. They didn't give any regard to the people caught in between. 

People, who had just come to enjoy the festival, like him and Akari, whom the students had knocked down.

"Alright! This is going to be the perfect spot for my grill!" their leader sneered as he was going to smash what was left of the Go stand.

"You stupid jerk!" Hikaru snapped, throwing a stone at the student, though he moved out of the way. "You hurt Akari, me, and these people. Don't you even know it?!"

"Why you little!" the man snapped, kicking Hikaru in the chest before he could even react.

"Hikaru!" Sai cried out, his anger on the man that hurt Hikaru as well as ruined the Go booth. __Bastard... he knows nothing of compassion or common decency.__

"You brat. I know what I am doing and if anyone is stupid enough to get in my club's way of getting what we want, then they are going to get stomped on like the worms they are!" he sneered, looking down at Hikaru, pulling back his fist, "Or like the worm you are! Now out of the way or you'll get more of the same."

"No." Hikaru said firmly, glaring at the bully, who just had a sneer on his face.

"Well then say hello to the Darkness." he laughed, throwing his punch... only to be held back. "Huh?"

"You first," a very strong feminine voice spoke from behind him.

Before he could move, the leader of the mob was thrown backwards into his cohorts, his large grill remaining standing up on the ground.

"Huh... who did..." Hikaru muttered as he looked up and saw, __HER?!_ _

"Are you alright?" the strange woman asked, holding out her hand to Hikaru. 

__What the... she... she doesn't look like she did before...__ Hikaru thought to himself. __What's with the silver stripes? And her eyes... I feel... I feel strange with her looking at me with those eyes. ... Sai!__

Sai was frozen as well, now being this close to the source of the power he felt before was an incredible feeling. He had known the power had to be strong, but never did he think it would be this strong. __Just. who is she?__

"Little boy," the young woman asked Hikaru again, her hand out to him to help him up.

Being called 'Little Boy' made Hikaru snap back to attention, taking her hand he got up. "Um I'm fine, but those idiots hurt Akari..." He looked at the woman, "And I'm not a little boy."

The young woman nodded, a slight smile on her face, one that instantly faded as Hikaru noticed once she saw the carnage caused by the group of Haze Jr. High students. "They have hurt a lot of people."

"Hey! You!" the leader of the group called out to them, yet the woman didn't turn to face him. "What do you think you are doing!"

"I thought that was obvious," she said sharply, "Stopping a beast like you from harming anymore innocent people."

"You are calling me a beast?! Lady I'm Nakamora Kenchi, head of the Cooking Club and final year student of Haze Jr. High!"

She looked right at him and her glare made him step back, "Tendo Kasumi. Let's play a game shall we?"

__A game?_ _Hikaru blinked,_ _ What is she thinking? She wants to play a game with this guy?__

How little Hikaru knew, that soon he would bear witness to a Shadow Game.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jounouchi came back to Ukyo at the spot where they had last seen Kasumi nearly an hour ago. "Anything?"

"Not a trace," Ukyo shook her head.

"She wouldn't have gone back home right?" Jounouchi asked.

"Not without telling us first," Ukyo replied. She looked around and saw that the crowd was somewhat smaller. "That's weird. There were more people here before." Some people just brushed past her, "Hey! Watch it!"

Jounouchi looked over to a student going in the same direction, "Where's the fire?"

"Might as well be a fire thanks to what the Cooking Club did. They didn't get the spot they wanted for the Festival so they decided to go wreck the Game Booths to set up their big grill," the Haze student said, "Several people have already been hurt and now there seems to be a fight about to break out involving some girl." He ran off leaving the two of them alone.

"Some girl... you don't think..." Ukyo muttered.

"I do. Come on cousin." Jounouchi said as he started running toward the Game Booths with Ukyo right behind him. What they saw when they got there was a large crowd of people, all circling someone. "Can you see her?"

"No... maybe it isn't her." Ukyo replied.

"No Kasumi is in there." Both of them turned around to see a young man with white hair looking into the crowd. "Personally I'm hoping she can teach that arrogant bully a lesson."

"... and you are?" Ukyo asked, wondering how this guy knew Kasumi.

"Bakura Ryou."

"Bakura Ryou..." Jounouchi mused, then realizing where he had heard the name before, "Hey aren't you my class with Anzu and Honda?"

"Yes I am," Bakura nodded, "Nice to see you too Jounouchi. And you must Ukyo am I right?"

"Yes, but how did you know that?" Ukyo asked.

"She told me your name, just like she said not to worry," Bakura answered, "She said she would be fine."

"I don't know..." Ukyo shook her head but Jounouchi put an arm on her shoulder.

"Ukyo, think you should know by now that in situations like this Kasumi can take care of herself," Jounouchi said smugly.

"But she was never like this before..." Ukyo muttered softly, "What changed her?"

* * *

Ryou meanwhile was counting backwards, waiting for the moment when Bakura would get it, __3, 2, 1...__

__A GIRL?!__ Bakura exclaimed, __Ryou, I don't like it when someone tries to deceive me!__

__Deceive you?__ Ryou blinked, __I don't know what you mean.__

__There is no way in the seven hells that the Pharaoh's personal item would ever be around a woman's neck!__ Bakura snapped, __I'll believe another Millennium Item is being held by a woman, but not the Puzzle!__

__Well there she is so you can see if I am lying or not.__ Ryou returned.

__Oh...__ Bakura mused as he looked on at the girl that he could feel the aura of an Item from. But when he saw it, his eyes went wide, __I don't believe it!__

__It is the puzzle isn't it?__ Ryou chirped. He expected a sharp come back, but instead got nothing. __Bakura?__

__Leave me alone right now. I'm trying to watch this.__ Bakura returned and his Hikari obeyed. Once he was alone with his thoughts, he kept his eyes on the girl with the Millennium Puzzle, __It can't be him... or is it?__

* * *

Yami Kasumi kept her eyes on Kenchi, her distain for him and his friends apparent in her eyes. "You attacked your own classmates as well as innocent people who came here for the simple purpose of enjoying this festival. You have ruined that."

Kenchi just rolled his eyes at her, snorting, "Heh. Is that supposed to make me care? We should have had this spot from the start. Who wants to play with these stupid games and loser clubs anyway."

Yami Kasumi had a sly smirk on her face, "Obviously everyone in the festival, otherwise you wouldn't have tried to tear it down."

"Say what?" Kenchi snapped.

"You brought that grill to cook for these people, yet I have a feeling it will play a more different role today than being used to cook." Yami Kasumi continued, her smirk still on her face.

"Grrr... stop talking nonsense already you wacky girl!" Kenchi snarled, "Boys lets finish clearing this waste of space so I can set up my grill!"

"YEAH!" all of Kenchi's friends cried out.

"No need," Yami Kasumi replied, her eyes closed and a small smile on her face, "I'll set it up for you." 

"Huh? What are you... WHAT THE!?!" Kenchi gasped, stepping back as he saw his massive grill now between both him and Yami Kasumi. __But... but I just had it behind me! How in the hell did it move over there?!__

"Now its time to play a game," Yami Kasumi spoke, opening her eyes and stretched out her hand. On the grill there appeared a hockey puck made of ice but in the middle of that puck was some sort of silver object.

"What is this?" Kenchi asked.

"This will determine who get this spot once and for all," Yami Kasumi explained, "The name of the game is called Inferno Puck. It's like air hockey, except the grill is the board. We will each use a spatula to hit the ice puck across the grill."

"That sounds lame." Kenchi muttered, "What's the silver thing inside the ice puck."

"I'm so glad you asked," Yami Kasumi smirked, "That silver case in the middle of the puck contains an explosive, once the explosive hits the heated grill, it will explode, most likely killing the person on the side it explodes on. That is how we determine the winner."

Kenchi stared at her for a few moments, perhaps in disbelief, but then a smirk came on his face, "Ha! Lady, that is bad! I like it! Too bad you are going to get your ass kicked, or should I say blown up!"

If Yami Kasumi could hear the murmurings around her, she didn't pay it any mind; she just kept her smirk on.

* * *

"... is she out of her mind?!" Ukyo and Jounouchi both said simultaneously.

__I must say I am impressed.__ Bakura smirked. __Apparently whomever it is that came up with this game as a very dark side... and I like it when they are very dark.__

__You like a lot of things very dark.__ Ryou returned.

__Hush.__ Bakura snapped. __I want to see how this turns out and I don't need you ruining the moment for me.__

"Ukyo. Toss me a spatula please." Yami Kasumi's voice called out.

"What?!" Ukyo blinked as people moved away from her, clearing a path right to where Yami Kasumi was, allowing for her to be seen. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Ukyo, "I need a spatula from your belt."

"But..."

"Ukyo. Trust me." Yami Kasumi said sternly. Though reluctantly, Ukyo did as she was asked. "Thank you. Everyone, please move away from us, there is no sense in you getting caught in this." Strangely enough everyone was moving to a safe distance away.

And all the while Bakura could feel the force behind this, the power coming from the item around Kasumi's neck. But it was when Yami Kasumi's eyes had been narrowed that he felt as if he had seen a ghost.

A ghost from the past.

* * *

"So are you ready to begin?" Yami Kasumi asked Kenchi.

"Yeah, but you are going to lose in just a short while," Kenchi sneered, "Ladies first."

Yami Kasumi nodded and using the spatula gained from Ukyo, she hit the ice puck and sent it over to Kenchi, who returned back to her twice as hard. Yami Kasumi had to try to match that force when sending it back to him. She also knew that once she had first hit the ice puck that the grill had been turned on. 

Now it was only getting hotter with each passing second, meaning the ice puck would melt that much faster. Not to mention that every time one of them hit the puck, a piece of the ice puck would break off. After a few minutes it was down to half the size of what it started out as and the explosive seemed to be swaying in the wind.

"Ha! Looks like it just about time to finish this game!" Kenchi smirked as he returned the puck again, even harder than before to Yami Kasumi who struggled to return it to him, "You are a foolish little girl aren't you! Don't you know you can't match my superior arm strength! Not only am I the head of the cooking club, but my arms have so much more strength than yours!"

__He's right. He is physically stronger than me in this case.__ Yami Kasumi agreed, __That's his plan. To wear me out with these hard returns he's sent to me. Once my arm is numb, I wont be able to return the puck. It will hit my end of the grill with all of its momentum and then explode.__ A smirk came to her face, __However his own strength can be used his own undoing.__

She saw the puck coming her way and knew she had no more energy to play things his way. It was either this or death. She hit the ice puck... but only with the tip of her spatula, sending it back to Kenchi slowly.

"Oh wow! What a loon! You've given me the entire match!" Kenchi sneered, "In this one strike I will send it back to you so fast and so hard, you're life will be over!"

"Kasumi!" Ukyo's voice cried out from the crowed.

Just as Kenchi was about to the puck though, Yami Kasumi spoke, "I'm afraid this game is now over."

"Huh? What do you--"

***BOOM!***

"AAAHHHHH!!!" Nakamora Kenchi went flying back twenty feet, his body smoking as he finally hit the ground.

"Like I said," Yami Kasumi said with a smirk, kicking the grill over with her foot. When it hit the ground, it broke into pieces. "Game over."

"How... how did..."

"How are you still alive or how did you lose?" Yami Kasumi said for him, "First the latter of the two. You lost because I figured out your strategy. I couldn't match your strength, so I let you defeat yourself. My last return, I put a small crack in the puck. I knew you couldn't resist trying to beat me with that shot. You'd put all of your strength into your return. It would be enough to shatter the puck."

"As to you being alive," Yami Kasumi said with a smirk, "Well... perhaps the gods were kind enough to say it wasn't your time to die."

"You little bitch!" Kenchi snarled, pulling out a butcher's knife from cart that his still shell shocked friends had from the club, "I'LL KILL YOU!!!" He screamed as he rushed at her.

Yami Kasumi was unconcerned, "I said you don't get to die... but that doesn't mean you aren't going to be punished!" Her third eye appeared, unseen to all, "According to the laws of the Shadow Games, as the victor I can decide your fate and I chose... SPIRAL DREAM!!!" she swung her hand out at him and he remained frozen for a moment before collapsing to the ground unconscious.

"Kenchi... Kenchi wake up!" one of his friends asked. He looked at Yami Kasumi, "What did you do to him?!"

"He thought he knew hell," Yami Kasumi smirked, "He's now getting a taste of what real hell is." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" the friend asked.

Yami Kasumi just kept on smirking.

* * *

In the bowels of his mind...

"AHHHH!!!!" Kenchi screamed as children were trampling him upon for several long moments. Finally it stopped and then he thought he was safe but then found a hand grabbing him, taking him up in the air. "Let me... YAH!!!"

He was now the size of a doll and now he was in the hands of a little girl. "Oh wow! A nice bully doll! I haven't had once since I tore apart my last one!"

"Hey Mandy! We're going to playing dress up, dream date and mix and match with our bullies. Want to join us?" 

"Yeah!" the little girl chirped running with Kenchi screaming always. 

"HELP ME!!!"

* * *

All of the people just stood there for a bit, kind of in a daze, save for a few unique people. It was only when the principle of Haze Jr. High came down with Festival Security did people start to come back to attention.

"Just what is going on here!" the Principle roared, "Who is responsible for all of this!"

"Its these people!" someone from the Cooking club said, "Yeah they got into our spot..."

"You morons never even filed for a spot in the festival until a week before," Kaga spoke up, back on his feet, "While all of us had done so a month in advance! You followed your 'leader' Kenchi like a group of obedient lackeys and because of that you ruined my club's booth, lots of the Game booths, and nearly trampled over a little girl while you were knocking people out of the way!"

"No that's not..." all of Kenchi's buddies shook their heads trying to deny it.

"But worst of all you could have killed us!" Kaga snapped, pointing to the ruined grill, "You tried to ignite it and it exploded! We could have been killed you idiots!"

The cooking club was looking for a way out but they saw none. What they saw were the angry looks of forty some adults, it was as if they were being targeted by a firing squad.

As it turned out, Festival Security had to protect the students from the guests, instead of the other way around (though the Principle was promising severe punishment to all those involved that caused harm).

Hikaru was beside himself, __What the... that wasn't what happened...that woman... where is she?!__ he got up and started to look for her but didn't see her. "Shittttt!"

"Hey kid," Kaga spoke coming over to him, "Remember the tournament..."

"Fine I'll be there!" Hikaru snapped, not really caring for anything but that strange girl, "Did you see her?"

"Her?"

"The girl with the golden puzzle around her neck!" Hikaru shouted, "The one with the magic!"

"... you lost me," Kaga scratched his head.

"Arrrgh..." Hikaru groaned but looking forward he saw Sai in a distance, motioning to him. __Of course! He must have kept his eyes on her the whole time! Of course he'll know where she is!__ Looking down at Akari, he saw that she was fine. Looking to his left he saw her friend Sayaka, who had rushed over to her now that the chaos had ended. "Make sure she's okay." He then got up and was going to run but Sayaka asked him where he was going. 

"I'm going to find someone." was all he said as he followed Sai, __And get some answers.__

* * *

With in the Millennium Ring, the spirit of Bakura resided in a place very much devoid of anything save for himself and the darkness. For over five millennia had searched for the Millennium Items and after long last, he found one of them.

__There were just two things I wasn't expecting,__ Bakura mused, __That the Millennium Puzzle is wore by a woman instead of a man... and that the Pharaoh's soul is within the Puzzle.__

Bakura felt his fists clench when even mentioning the name of the Pharaoh. He and his family had some 'history' with Bakura, and that was only putting it mildly. He had no problem identifying the aura of the ancient ruler during the Shadow Game he had witnessed. There was no mistaking it.

__But why... why a female vessel? Why not a male one?__ Bakura asked himself. Over the years he had different hosts, yet all male. So why would the Pharaoh chose a female body. __... unless he didn't even have a choice in the matter. If the Puzzle were shattered, then it would have to be put back together, thus...__

The more Bakura thought about it, the more possibilities came into his head. Yet there were the amusing ones that struck his fancy the most. __The All Mighty Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt now reduced to living within the body of a common girl... __ he felt the laughter coming up from within but he didn't even try to stop it. He was certain if anyone of the Pharaoh's own Priests were still alive, even they would laugh at his predicament.

__And then that begs the question then doesn't it?__ Bakura mused, __I'm certain that the girl is not a problem at all. I could simply take the Puzzle from her if I wanted, but the Pharaoh is another matter entirely. I have no idea what he's up to or what his plan is..._ _a wicked smirk formed on his lips, __Besides I think having him stuck in the body of a woman is very amusing and a fitting punishment for him.__

He decided to think it over a bit more before coming to the conclusion that even though he could just take the Puzzle by force, there were too many complications involved with doing that. __No, it would be better, wiser... and much more satisfying to observe 'Pharaoh-chan' for a while.__

Bakura laughed as he thought of what he could do when he realized that the girl's friends were with Ryou. __Now here's the first route that I have towards getting information about the Pharaoh's host. I think I'll let Ryou handle the talking though._ _He fought back the urge to shiver, __I hate having to act as nice as Ryou does when pretending to be him. How does that boy do it?__

* * *

"... and I thought only your home town had the rights to obliviousness..." Jounouchi said open mouthed.

"They were all standing right here, watching the exact same thing that we did," Ukyo shook her head, "So how could they all come up with something totally different."

"Yes it really is strange." Ryou admitted. He was then treated to the sound of two thuds. Looking down he saw Ukyo and Jounouchi. "Did I say something wrong?"

"You saw that?" Jounouchi asked, up like a rocket and holding on to Ryou's jacket, "The grill, the returns, the explosion?!"

"Yes Jounouchi I saw it all just like everyone else," Ryou replied calmly, "Yet I do find it strange that the three of us seem to be the only ones to remember it the way it was."

"Yeah well with Kasumi, strange things do happen," Jounouchi shrugged.

"No no no Jounouchi," Ukyo shook her head, "In Nermia strange things happen but nothing strange ever happened with Kasumi involved... at least until you met her that day she saved your life."

"Really?" Ryou asked, "What was she like before then Ukyo?"

"Well..." 

As Ukyo started to talk about what Kasumi was like before meeting Jounouchi, Jounouchi was looking for the person in question, __Speaking of which, where did she go?__

* * *

Sitting under a tree outside of the festival, Kasumi laid back, trying to think about what she had been doing. __I can't believe... I can't believe we played a Shadow Game in public! Those people...__

__Won't remember much of anything. They'll draw their own conclusions.__ Yami responded. __When we play a Shadow Game, part or all of the Shadow Realm can come into reality, depending on the one who calls for the game. Those that aren't actively involved in the game will experience lingering affects. For those people, they shouldn't remember much of anything and come to their own logical conclusions.__

__Like the people in the supermarket when you first merged with me,__ Kasumi realized but then thought of something else, __But if that's the case why did Jounouchi and Ukyo remember what happened during the games we played.__

Before Yami could even reply, they were interrupted, "I found you!"

"Eh?" Kasumi blinked and realized it was that same boy she helped earlier. "Hello. Can I help you?"

"Just who are anyway?" he asked, "What did you do to that guy?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know what you mean." Kasumi half-lied. __I do know what you mean, but I wasn't the one that did it. Still, I can't let him know anything.__

__That is for the best.__ Yami agreed.

"Don't try to lie with me!" he snapped, "I can see you aren't an ordinary girl and--YA!! Two of you?!"

"Huh?" Kasumi blinked.

__What?__ Yami whirled around, looking right at the boy.

"There! She just looked at me! Both of them!" he snapped.

__Yami...?__

__He... he can see me?__ Yami blinked repeatedly, not believing this, __That's impossible!__

The boy looked around trying to figure something out until, "Sai get your ass out here and help me out! Talk to the other ghost already!"

"But I don't know if it is a ghost, Hikaru." 

"Huh?" Kasumi and Yami muttered as they turned to look at the boy, Hikaru, and the older man behind him, Sai, only he was wearing clothes that were definitely behind the times. "Those are old imperial robes... from the Heian Era."

It was now Sai's turn to blink as he looked at Kasumi, "You can see me?!"

It was then that the Millennium Puzzle glowed brightly. Kasumi shielded her eyes for a moment and when the light faded, there was a total spectral form of Yami beside her, "Yami?"

"I can take this type of form to speak face to face with you in the living world whenever I want. No one else is supposed to be able to see me... unless they are dead." Yami turned to face both Sai and Hikaru. "The man is dead, the boy isn't, yet the man is tied to the boy... interesting."

"That's putting it mildly," Hikaru said flippantly.

Yami turned to look towards Sai and put her hand out, "Come. We need to talk."

"Hai." Sai agreed. Once he touched her hand, they both vanished in golden light into the Millennium Puzzle. That left Kasumi and Hikaru looking at each other.

"... um... " Hikaru muttered looking at the ground for a bit, before looking up at Kasumi, "Shindou Hikaru. Kid stuck with an Japanese man from the Heian Dyansty that is obsessed with Go."

"Tendo Kasumi. Girl stuck with a five thousand year old Egyptian man whose duty is to safeguard items that could ruin the world, except now he's also me."

Hikaru blinked repeatedly for a minute before finally speaking, "... and I thought my life was screwed up once I broke that Go board."

* * *

When Sai opened his eyes, he found himself in a stone hallway, far different from any thing he had ever been in before. He could feel that this was ancient, more so than his own time in comparison to the present. 

He had not gotten more than a few steps when suddenly out of the wall materialized a purple robed man. He stood at seven feet tall, holding a green staff, his face hidden in the shadows.

"It's all right. He is a guest. Should he ever come again, show him no trouble."

Sai flinched, moving back slightly as he had forgotten the woman, Yami, had been right beside him. When he turned forward again, the being was gone. "What was that?"

"A guardian. One of many within the Millennium Puzzle." Yami replied.

"Millennium Puzzle?"

"There is much you don't understand as well as much you shouldn't. My mission is not something you would want to get yourself involved," Yami said softly, before looking at Sai, "However I find it strange how you, a spirit, have now bonded with a living boy."

Sai folded his arms, "How is that any stranger than what you've done?"

Yami gave off a small smirk, "Well met. However I was original male mind you."

"WHAT?!" Sai gasped, open mouth and in disbelief, "You were a guy?!"

Yami left off an amused chuckle at his reaction, "I've existed within the Puzzle for over five millennia my fellow spirit. I've long since outgrown any notions of gender." Her voice trailed off for a moment before speaking, "For what meaning does gender have when one exists in solitude?"

"I know what you mean," Sai replied, "Though not alone for as long as you were, being trapped in a Go board was a very lonely existence."

"Seems we both have our own tales of woe," Yami said sadly. Raising her hand, she made for a table and two chairs to appear. She took a seat, as did Sai. "You first."

* * *

"So... you broke a cursed board and Sai ended up bonding to you," Kasumi asked Hikaru, as they were both sitting under a tree. 

"Pretty much. Though I didn't know what had happened until after I had gotten released from the hospital. Once that happened, Sai started coming around, begging me to play Go." Hikaru replied, "It's pretty much all he thinks about. So what about you? How did you meet Yami?"

"I put this puzzle that I found in my attic together," Kasumi answered, holding the Millennium Puzzle in her hands. "You wouldn't believe how profound an effect it has had on my life."

"Well if you can do all this really cool magic stuff I'd say its really massive," Hikaru beamed.

"It scares me."

"Eh?" Hikaru blinked, turning to face Kasumi, who had a worried look in her eyes.

"Every time I merge with Yami, I become more confident and more sure of myself yet I'm relatively the same person." Kasumi started to say, "But when I play a Shadow Game, the merge feels even stronger and there's a more darker side to myself that gets opened up."

"You mean something evil?" Hikaru asked.

"No, not evil." Kasumi shook her head, "Darkness doesn't necessarily mean evil. It just means what it means, darkness. That Shadow Game you saw, it was the most dangerous one I played with anyone yet. My own life was on the line, but I wasn't scared then."

Hikaru looked on at Kasumi, knowing that his relationship Sai was nothing like Kasumi and Yami's but thought it was best just to listen.

"I know I'm changing. Changing from a girl who was very much oblivious to a lot of things... but I don't know what I am changing into," Kasumi looked down at the ground a moment, "… what am I going to become... what am I..."

"Bullshit."

"Nani?" Kasumi blinked, turning to Hikaru, surprised by his language.

"No matter what happens to you, there's no way in hell you're going to be like that asshole you punished or any sort of monster." Hikaru told her fiercely, "You're a good person Kasumi. And if I need to come over and kick you every day to remember that I will do that!"

"Hikaru... thank you," Kasumi said, a smile forming on her face, "I'm glad I met you. Someone else kind of like me, some one that has to deal with a spirit now being a part of their lives. I've had this in me for a while now, I feel better getting out."

"Eh. Don't mention it," Hikaru smirked.

"I wonder what Yami and Sai are talking about inside the Millennium Puzzle," Kasumi mused aloud.

* * *

_To answer that question..._

"I win." Sai smiled at Yami, who looked amused. Between them was a Go board, one that Yami had created. "For someone that has never played Go before, you didn't play like a beginner."

"There was a game in Egypt that was somewhat similar to Go," Yami replied, "And I happen to be a quick study."

Sai nodded to that. Just after each of them had played ten moves, Yami's own moves had become better than those of a beginner. It was as if watching the game and seeing how it was played while she was playing it helped her improve her game. 

It was also during their Go game that they shared their own pasts. Well Sai shared his at least, which he embellished a bit perhaps. The Japanese spirit felt sympathy towards his Egyptian friend, as she had no memory of her own past.

"Yami, does it ever bother you that you don't remember who you were in your past life?" Sai asked.

"Occasionally yes." Yami admitted, "But I knew the day my soul was sealed within the Millennium Puzzle that I ran the risk of my memories being lost to me. It's why the puzzle is so complex."

"How so?"

"There are so many hallways and doorways. Pathways that seem to be endless and those that seemingly appear out of nowhere." Yami explained. "Yet even without knowing who I was, I do remember my pledge; to prevent the return of the Shadow Games and I have done that for the last five millennia to the best of my ability."

"You put a heavy burden upon your shoulders Yami," Sai said respectfully, "I do not envy you."

Yami nodded. Her destiny was not one she would wish upon anyone but herself, as she had chosen it a long time ago. "I'm glad we've had this chance to talk with each other Sai. I truly hope you eventually find the peace you are seeking."

"With Hikaru, I feel I just may one day," Sai said proudly. Though Hikaru was very rude at times, he had a heart of gold. He stood up for what he believed in and he stood with Sai. 

"I feel the same way about Kasumi," Yami replied in understanding. "She is my Aibou, my Hikari, the light to my darkness. Now, without her, I am nothing."

"Yami, I hope to be able to talk with you again." Sai bowed.

"If you wish, feel free to visit me when your Hikari is asleep." Yami smiled.

"Oro?" Sai blinked, but Yami put her hand on Sai's forehead and it glowed for a moment. When it faded, she took her hand away.

"Consider that a way of travel here," Yami stated, "I could use the company here in the night when my Hikari is asleep."

"I would like that," Sai said happily, "I'd like that a lot."

* * *

Back in the real world, as Kasumi and Hikaru were talking, a light came forth from the Millennium Puzzle. It soon solidified into Sai, who looked at Kasumi with a look of respect. "Tendo Kasumi, you are one of the most honorable and kindest soul I have ever met. I'm glad we have met on this day."

"So am I Sai." Kasumi smiled at the spirit, "Just as I'm glad to have met Hikaru." Looking at her watch she let out a familiar cry, "Oh my! It's nearly six o'clock!"

"Six?!" Hikaru jumped to his feet, "Shit! My mom wants me back home by six! It's going to take me an hour to get back home from here!"

"Oh dear," Kasumi sighed. 

"Don't worry. I'll just explain this whole mess to her," Hikaru shrugged, "Heck, it'll probably be on the news by the time I get home." He saw Kasumi get up to her feet and hold her hand out. Once Hikaru took and shook. "Seeya around, Tendo Kasumi."

"See you around, Shindou Hikaru." Kasumi smiled.

"Yosh!" Hikaru smirked as he started to run with Sai right behind him, "Hey Sai can you help me with my ancient history homework?"

"I thought you said to your mother that you finished it," Sai asked.

"... I kind of lied," Hikaru said, scratched the back of his head.

Kasumi let out a giggle after hearing that before her two new friends faded out of sight. "They are quite a pair."

"That they are."

Kasumi turned around to face Yami in her ethereal form standing next to her, "Yami?"

"I thought Aibou it might help that sometimes we may talk face to face rather in our own minds or dreams," Yami responded, "You disapprove?"

"No. I like it," Kasumi replied.

"Kasumi!"

"Jounouchi!" Kasumi called out, seeing her friend rushing over to her location, and she saw that Ukyo and Bakura were behind him. 

"We'll talk later Aibou. Right now, you should enjoy the rest of the day with your friends before you have to go home," Yami said before returning into the puzzle.

"Hey... Kasumi where were you?" Jounouchi asked once he reached her, panting to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry Jounouchi," Kasumi sighed, "But Hikaru and I were talking a lot..."

"Hikaru?" Ukyo asked.

"Shindou Hikaru. A young boy I met here. We happen to have quite a bit in common." Kasumi smiled, "Well we still have some time before the end of the festival don't we?"

"Yeah we have time for dinner at least," Jounouchi smiled, "And searching for you has given me quite an appetite."

"Good, then let's all have dinner together," Kasumi suggested, then turned to look at Bakura, "Bakura will you join us?"

"I'd like to Kasumi." Bakura smiled.

"Well then let's get going," Ukyo motioned to them all, "I know a great stand that serves okonomiyaki that is as good as mine... almost."

Everyone shared a laugh at that but Kasumi couldn't help but feel freer... more human. She was becoming more like a regular girl. 

If this was how normal girls lived their lives, she wouldn't give it up for anything... or let anyone take it away from her.

* * *

From his place in the Millennium Ring, Bakura smiled. "Well so far Ryou's doing his part. I can already tell he's getting in her good graces. That will allow me to keep a closer eye on Pharaoh-chan and see just what 'she' is planning." He couldn't help but smirk as he now felt there actually was a God out there in the world.

"After all there must be a God out there. Only God himself would see fit to punish the Pharaoh as properly and as sadistically as this." Bakura mused. "But back to business then. That boy she mentioned, Shindou Hikaru. He must have been that boy that was rushing towards the exit as we were looking for Kasumi. I didn't sense the presence of an Item from him, though there was a sense of otherworldliness. Perhaps he has a spirit of his own."

At any rate, it wasn't his concern. What were his concerns were the Pharaoh and the Millennium Puzzle. Before he would make any move, he would first ascertain the status of the Pharaoh and his powers as well as the situation of the girl that was his host. His host could handle the latter, being her friend while he discretely probed with his senses, though it would take time to make sense of what ever he probed.

"But I'm patient," Bakura smirked, "After all I waited five thousand years to get this far. What's another month or even a year for someone like me? Absolutely nothing. One day all seven Millennium Items will be mine." 

For now though, he would simply wait... and enjoy the okonomiyaki that his host was eating. He had to admit, Japanese delicacies were among the best of all the world's cultures that he had tasted over the millennia.

And he had tasted many.

* * *

And yet while all of this was going on, back in Nermia, in her own bedroom, one Tendo Nabiki was watching open mouthed at a video tape made by one of her lackeys. The one that she had sent to spy on Kasumi and see what she was doing with Jounouchi and Ukyo.

The path had led her flunky to the Haze Jr. High fall festival. But when she had come to Nabiki's home nearly an hour and a half ago, she was almost scared out of her mind. Her exact words were 'Never ask me to spy on your sister again. She's scary.'

Shoving her lackey aside, she had gone straight to her room, popped the tape into her VCR and watched it.

She was totally unprepared for the Kasumi that she saw on that tape. This 'Shadow Game' that she played with this Haze student, one in which that could have killed either of them. It was dumb luck neither of them had gotten killed. 

And then she gave a 'punishment' to him. It looked like she just flung her hand in his direction, but he then fell down to the ground unconscious. She heard Kasumi say that he was experiencing hell.

It took Nabiki watching the tape a second time through, to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her to see the strange golden object around Kasumi's neck. She hit pause at once. __I KNEW IT! I knew there was some sort of magical object involved in all of this! That evil thing is ruining my sister! I have to get it away from her!__ She then lowered her head, slumping her chair as she came her next thought, __But how in the hell am I going to tell my family about this... and not harm Kasumi too much in the process.__

Nabiki let out a heavy sigh, knowing this was probably going to be the biggest decision of her life. She thought what she was about do was right and would be the best thing for Kasumi.

__... so why do I feel like our entire world is about to change?__ Nabiki asked herself, as a feeling of impending doom seemed to loom about her.

She just didn't know whose it was.

**To Be Continued...**

_Added Disclaimer: I do not own Shindou Hikaru, Fujiwarano_ _Sai, Kaga, Akari, Haze Jr. High or any other characters related to them as they all are a part of the anime Hikaru no Go and thus belong to their creators. _

_Author's Notes: The reason I didn't put in Hikaru no Go in the first disclaimer was to keep a surprise and not to confuse people. I don't have plans to have any of the characters from the series to appear in any of the next few chapters, however the door has been opened so there is the possibility of a return appearance in the future._

_Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait you've all had to go through for it. It was a hard thing to write up but I'm glad to say that its exactly the way I want it. The addition of Bakura was a surprise to myself, as I had only decided on bringing him this early in the story only within the last month. He'll be done pretty much as you've always known him to be, however with Yami being female and knowing their past history, it will definitely make things interesting for coming chapters. Speaking of chapters, Chapter Five is already in the works and if you haven't already guessed, a confrontation is enviable now that Nabiki has proof that something is 'wrong' with Kasumi. What Nabiki decides to do will forever change the lives of all people living in the Tendo Dojo. Next time on Kasumi the Game Queen, Chapter Five: The Storm of Change. Until then._


End file.
